IPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users

I'm thinking to buy the first Mac of my life...
Sorry for writing here but I'm an engineer and I don't like to much answer from commercial people...
Studying how to set up the new iMac, one possible problem is that my wife and me are working on Win 7 on the same photo library with two different account (while our little daughter cannot access it).
I've found this article in the apple support:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198?viewlocale=en_US
But I’m not fully persuaded of the two possible solution.
- usb external drive with “ignore permission on that volume” (I suppose that also an internal partition can be good)
- image disk on shared folder
If I choose the partition with ignore permission I’m worried that my daughter can delete everything and I’m not sure that it is possible to backup everything with time machines…
If I choose the image disk “sparse” I’m worried about the performance (20gb of photo increasing…) and I’m not sure if I can exclude the image file from time machines and I can backup the mounted disk instead….
Is there any other solution, considering that could be even enough a read only access for my wife account (just to see the photo library and synchronize with her iPhone)
Many thanks
Riccardo

Thanks for your answer,
You don't have to use an external disk or partition. You can simply put the Library in the Users/Shared folder and work from there.
Are you sure? The apple article HT1198 says: If two or more users attempt to use the same iPhoto library and the library is not on a volume where permissions are ignored, unexpected results may occur. This includes the inability to see or edit certain photos, or the inability to open the iPhoto library. Follow the steps below to avoid sharing iPhoto libraries in this manner.
If you're concerned about your daughter accessing the Library and trashing it: here's a way:
Create an extra Account on your Mac, call it Media. Create an iPhoto Library there. (BTW: This will work for iTunes too.)
Enable Sharing on the Library:(Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other accounts. In those accounts, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. The Library will appear in the other source pane.
This means that both all users will be able to see the pics. If you want to use a pic then simply drag it from the shared Library to your own in the iPhoto Window. This means that each user can have their own edits.
If you want to add or delete photos to the Library: Log into the Media account for that purpose. Obviously, don't give the kids the password for the Media account.
To make it all seamless: Set your Mac to log into the Media Account automatically. Set iPhoto to launch on log-in. Then switch to your own account using Fast User Switching.
Net result: a Library that's permanently available to all users but also protected. Each user can have their own versions of the pics if they want.
No partitioning, no permissions issues. Uses no extra disk space. What's not to like?
This could be perfect!!! I will see all feature of iPhoto on the shared library (events, places, faces, albums)? And is it also possible from my account to see the albums in iTunes to synchronize it with my iPhone?
Many thanks again for your help
Riccardo

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How Can I Share iPhoto Library/Keywords Among Multiple Users

Hi there! I am having a bit of a dilemma where I am trying how I can have several users access a shared iPhoto library (as well as retain their own personal iPhoto libraries). Basically, I have a handful of (three) users that need to be able to store/search against a common shared photo library - ideally, in iPhoto.
I understand that I can share albums through iPhoto (users are using a mix of iPhoto '08 and '09) on one account as long as iPhoto is running - a serious drawback. When I tried sharing photos via this method I was able to see the shared albums; however the keywords that were defined for those photos were not available. This presents two questions:
1) Can iPhoto share its library among multiple users (including keywords, etc) so that if a user account (let's call it "media") shares out selected albums that the viewing users (user1 and user2) can search against the keywords in the host library? Or is this not possible with iPhoto?
2) Is there another way of sharing photos that is more efficient and can be hosted on our private servers? The interface in iPhoto is amazing - and if there was an application that allowed for that same sort of feel/tagging we would be good to go...

Well here is the weird thing. If I was sharing out the library from my computer, I could search for the keywords (and obtain results) as expected. However, if I went to another computer that was viewing my shared library, searching by the same keyword did not return any results.

Share libraries among multiple users on the same Macbook.

I want to share the IPhoto library between two users (A and B) of the same New Mac Book (Oct 08') that would be located in the Users/Shared folder.
I tried to follow the steps described in article HT1198 of the Mac Support dated Oct. 8th, 08' (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198) but it deals only with the issue of sharing a library that is located on an external HD.
I did the following:
1. Logged under A account and moved my empty library to the Users/Shared Folder.
2. Right clicked on above-mentioned library to grant Write & Read privileges to account B
3. Opened IPhoto whilst pressing Opt. and selected above-mentioned library (in Users/Shared folder).
4. Logged out of A and logged in as B.
5. Opened IPhoto whilst pressing Opt. and selected above-mentioned library (in Users/Shared folder).
6. Quickly the following error message showed up (and kept on showing up):
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All changes made to the library under account B where indeed not saved and did not appear when I accessed IPhoto under my account A.
Please note that when I Chose File > Get info on my external HD and/or Shared folder and/or IPhoto library, I could not find the 'Ownership & Permissions' menu nor the 'Ignore Ownership on this volume'. Only a 'Sharing and Permissions' was available with no other option/detail.
I just switched to Mac last week and I have tried to solve that issue (that seems easy to solve) repeatedly in vain. It is hard to get help in English here in Japan. Any help will be highly appreciated.
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Julien
Sharing the iPhoto Library from the Shared Folder is not supported on 10.5 and involves a trip to the Terminal. *I strongly suggest that if you're not confident in the Terminal that you use some other version of sharing.*
There are two ways to share, depending on what you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc. then:
Quit iPhoto in both accounts
Move the iPhoto Library Folder to an external HD set to ignore permissions. You could also use a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.
In each account in turn: Hold down the option (or alt) key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting dialogue, select 'Choose Library' and navigate to the new library location. From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.
Finally: If you’re comfortable in the Terminal, and understand File Permissions, ACL’s etc., some folks have reported success using the process outlined here . (Note this page refers to 10.4, but it should also work on 10.5). If you’re not comfortable with the terminal, and don’t know an ACL from the ACLU, then you’re best doing something else... Oh, and the warning about simultaneous users still applies.
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My wife and I both have user accounts on our MacBook Pro. She has all of our pictures on her iPhoto. How can I access those photos? Thanks in advance.

For iPhoto 09 (version 8.0.2) and later:
What you mean by 'share'.
If you want the other user to be able to see the pics, but not add to, change or alter your library, then enable Sharing in your iPhoto (Preferences -> Sharing), leave iPhoto running and use Fast User Switching to open the other account. In that account, enable 'Look For Shared Libraries'. Your Library will appear in the other source pane.
Any user can drag a pic from the Shared Library to their own in the iPhoto Window.
Remember iPhoto must be running in both accounts for this to work.
If you want the other user to have the same access to the library as you: to be able to add, edit, organise, keyword etc.
Quit iPhoto in both accounts. Move the Library to the Users / Shared Folder
(You can also use an external HD set to ignore permissions, a Disk Image or even partition your Hard Disk.)
In each account in turn: Double click on the Library to open it. (You may be asked to repair the Library Permissions.) From that point on, this will be the default library location. Both accounts will have full access to the library, in fact, both accounts will 'own' it.
However, there is a catch with this system and it is a significant one. iPhoto is not a multi-user app., it does not have the code to negotiate two users simultaneously writing to the database, and trying will cause db corruption. So only one user at a time, and back up, back up back up.
Regards
TD

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Here are some other methods that have been discussed.
http://ad.hominem.org/log/2005/07/acl.php
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2151309&#2151309
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=579542&tstart=0
http://www.captnswing.net/2004/03/20/shareiphotolibrary.html
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20050904072808460
Do you Twango?
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I've written an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 08 libraries. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

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Many people using the Shared Folder find that they have permissions issues which mean that they 'other' user can't see some part of the Library. Therefore, if you want to share the Library in that way it's best moved to an external disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and set to ignore ownership and permissions.
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IPhoto: Sharing libraries among multiple users

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