One Mac - two users / how to sync addres/to dos/music

Question

My husband and I share the same computer with different users, so each of us have our address, to do list, and mail; but we share the same music library. How we can sync each iPod touch without messing our contacts, to dos, etc.
What we do now is that using his user we sync both iPod, but I can not sync the music using my user id; regardless of sharing the music library.

Answer 1

I'm assuming from your post that you each have an ipod touch, that you want to sync everything seperately except for the music library which you want to be the same? This gets kind of technical, and you've got the potential to screw things up a bit.
First off copy the entire itunes folder (not just the itunes music folder) that has all your music in it from accountname/music/ to (nameofharddrive)/users/shared. Next select the itunes folder you just copied and do a command - i on the folder to bring up a get info window. At the bottom of that window will be a pane for setting permissions. You may have to authenticate by clicking the lock icon at the bottom and entering in your computer username and password before you can make any changes. In the permissions pane click on the plus sign at the bottom and select the name of the second user that you want to be able to access the music from the list on right. Back in the permissions pane change the permissions for the second user to read & write. Both users should now be listed with read & write access. close the get info window. Start itunes on the first account while holding down the option key. When asked to select a existing library, navigate to the new itunes folder in the shared folder - not the one in your user account. Itunes should be set on this account now. You can plug in and set your sync preferences for the first ipod here now. You must quit itunes in the first account before you can use it in the second account using this method. Quit itunes, then logout or switch user accounts to the second account. Start itunes holding down the option key again, and select the itunes folder you created in the shared location. Plug in and set the sync preferences for the second ipod to be associated with this account. From now on itunes should be started normally without needing to hold down option or anything of the sort. I haven't fully tested this method out myself, but it should work. Just remember that you need to shut down itunes in the first account before you can open it in the second.