Sharing iPhoto libraries between two Macs

Hi,
I've got a Mac mini set up in the living room on which I store videos, music and photos.
The photos are organized in iPhoto and arranged in 'Events' with the file name format being "YYYY MM eventname"
My wife would like to access those photos from her MacbookAir.
When sharing the iPhoto library, the photos come up in her iPhoto under 'shared' but all 25000 photos are in one big folder and no longer sorted the way they are on the Macmini.
Is there any way accessing the structure of the Mac Mini's Library via a sharing device?

Make Albums of those Events - which you can do just by dragging the Events to the Album heading in the left pane. Albums don't use any extra disk space.
Regards
TD

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What is the best strategy for sharing iPhoto libraries between two macs?

I have an iMac and a new Airbook. I want to keep my iMac as the"main" iPhoto location, but want to also keep copies of the photos on my Airbook.
I could copy the library from one to the other to get the photos into the Airbook initially, but then how would I get subsequent ones in there? Is there a way to sync these two computers so that the photos flow from one to the other? One-way syncing would be ok...
Thanks.
Oh - and I use MobileMe if that helps.

There is an application that can sync two iPhoto libraries. It's SyncPhotos
Here's how it works:
1 - it compares the databases and/or album.xml files of Libraries A and B.
2 - the files in A that are not in B are imported into B by copying the original files from A into B's Import folder.
3 - it then does the same for B.
4 - metadata is not copied nor are Faces or Places.
It can be used to just copy from A to B and not sync both ways if desired. It will work with 2 libraries that are different versions, i.e. between an iPhoto 08 and iPhoto 09 library.
If you want to copy selected Events or Album from one to the other and keep the metadata, faces and places intact, you can use the paid version of iPhoto Library Manager. You would have to manually select the event/album to copy from A to B and do the same for B to A.
OT

How do I share iPhoto libraries between two Macs?

Hi! I would ideally like to have one iPhoto library to share between two different Mac laptops. Is there some way I can set it up so that the same library can be shared, edited, and updated? Or if not, is there a way I can see the other Mac's iPhoto library? Both computers share the same Wifi and both using Mountain Lion OS (but I can upgrade if that would help).
Thanks!

The only way to do what you want is to put the Library on an external disk formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then connect - a wired usb/firewire/thunderbird connection - the drive to each machine as required.
What you're describing is a media server. They start at the $200 mark.

Syncing two iPhoto Libraries between two Macs

I'm looking for the best way of keeping my two iPhoto libraries on my two Macs synced at all times. Right now I'm doing this manually over my wireless network which is kind of time consuming...and I'm guessing there has to be an easier way of doing this on a Mac?
Any good ideas? Thanks...
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Jr Oakley
Welcome to the Apple Discussions.
Exactly what do you mean by sync? Do you mean one way copying? As in I organise and import pics on one machine only, and would like the changes visible on the other?
Or do you mean I want to import and organise on both machines, and have the changes reflected on either? You cannot do this. If you try and sync the database files they will be corrupted.
So a little more info might help us help you.
Regards
TD

Merging iPhoto Libraries from two Macs

Does anyone have a way of physically combining (not just sharing) iPhoto libraries from two macs? I'm hoping there's an easier, smarter way of doing it than just exporting all of the photos from one and importing them into the other and then just doing the reverse. Is there software that does this smarter? Can get rid of duplicates, etc.?

Merge?
Do you mean 'sync' libraries
The general term means when two Libraries (A and B) are compared and files in Library A are copied to Library B, while files in Library B are also copied to Library A so that both Libraries are identical.
This is bi-directional copying and you cannot do this with automatically with iPhoto. No Syncing software is capable of parsing the iPhoto Library in this manner. One or both of your Libraries will be damaged if you try this.
The nearest you can get to syncing is to use iPhoto Library Manager to move files/Albums/Events plus assoicated metadata between Libraries. This process cannot be automated.
The Export/Import route will not get your versions.
Regards
TD

Can I sync iphoto library between two Mac's?

I have two Macs (an iMac and a Macbook Pro) and want to sync the iPhoto (6.0.6) library between the two so whenever I change one the other is updated. I thought about using iDisk but my library is apx 5gb. I am new to Macs- is there a utility built into OSX 10.4.9 or hopefully some freeware or very-cheap ware... preferably automated. Thank you very much.

brettjbyers
No you cannot sync an iPhoto library between two macs. If you do you will corrupt the iPhoto Library file. iPhoto is a consumer level app, and this feature is not supported.
What you can do is share the photos but not the library. Each machine will need to have it's own library file.
The easiest way to do it this is to enable sharing (in the iPhoto Preferences) on both machines (one sharing the library, the other looking for the share). When you do this the shared library will appear in the Source (or left-hand) pane and pics can be dragged from that to the library in the other machine.
Regards
TD

Sync iPhoto '08 between two macs

I am trying to sync iPhoto '08 between two of my macs, but can't seem to get it, unless I copy the whole library file (all 10gbs of it!).
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

ckg1999:
Welcome to the Apple Discussions. You can't sync two libraries like you can two folders. That's because the data inside the library's database file needs to be the same and you can sync the contents of data files. The only way to keep two libraries the same is to use iPhoto Library Manager to copy new events on Library A to Library B and copy new Events on Library B to A. You would have to be sure to keep the Events as they were imported so you would know which are new and need copying to the other library. If you were to move photos to an earlier event what I propose wouldn't work.
Using any other syncing application will only mess up both libraries.
Do you Twango?
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created 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 and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

Sharing iPhoto Library between Two User Accounts

Is there any way to fully share a single iPhoto library between two user accounts on one machine (iMac 2.0GHz dual core Intel, 10.5.1, iPhoto '08), without using an external drive (because I don't have one)? By share, I mean each user has full rights and priveledges to the entire library, regardless of who uploaded the pics. Holding down the option key on iPhoto startup does not work because my wife can't access the pics I loaded even though she's pointing to the shared library in a shared folder.

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 dmg*.
(Some people have had success putting the library in the Users/ Shared folder. If you do this make sure the file permissions are set to allow read/write access to everyone. But that's unlikely to work on 10.5 because of the way that the permissions have changed with the new OS.)
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.
Regards
TD

Best practices for sharing iPhoto libraries across multiple Macs

I have a pair of iMacs running 10.6.x. and iPhoto 11 connected via Ethernet to an Airport Extreme. I am looking for a way to share my iPhoto library between the two Macs.
I found an Apple Support note on the topic (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1198) which states that a disk image is a supported location for a shared iPhoto library (with limitations acceptable to me) and it strikes me that this would be a way of hosting a shared iPhoto library onto a NAS device.
Am I missing a simpler solution or, more importantly, am I missing any blindingly obvious caveats? I'd love to hear from anybody who has tried this (successfully or otherwise) or anybody who has a better idea. I haven't bought a NAS device yet, so I'm open to alternative suggestions.
Specific requirements:
Members of my family use either one of a pair of iMacs.
The only user who edits the iPhoto library is me and I only need read/write access from one machine.
iPhoto library access limited to one user at a time is acceptable and practical in my case.

Easiest:
If the other users only get to see the Library then just use iPhoto Sharing.
Enable sharing in the iPhoto Preferences on the Host machine, then go to the other macgine and in the same location enable 'Look for Shared Libraries'
Other forms of sharing will give the users read/write access to the Library.
A strong warning: If you're trying to edit the Library (that is, make albums, move photos around, keyword, make books or slideshows etc.) or edit individual photos in it via Wireless be very careful. Dropouts are a common fact of wireless networking, and should one occur while the app is writing to the database then your Library will be damaged. Simply, I would not do this with my Libraries.
Regards
TD

Sharing iphoto library on two macs?

Hi Folks,
I have two macs in the house. One a mini linked to a tv and an iMac. The iMac holds my primary iPhoto Library. What I would like to do is share the same library with the mini mac, without having to use the sharing option. Can I place it on an external drive and link both macs to that library? I am running 10.5 if that makes any difference. Thanks, Andrew.

Andrew
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 dmg.
(Some people have had success putting the library in the Users/ Shared folder. If you do this make sure the file permissions are set to allow read/write access to everyone.)
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.
Regards
TD

How to sync two iTunes libraries between two Macs?

I have two macs (Mavericks) plus the latest version of iTunes. What I want to do is to mirror any change I do on one library to the other iTunes library using Google Drive (iTunes Library Mac 1 to iTunes Library Mac 2 and vice versa).
I installed Google Drive on both of my Macs. It works pretty well at mirroring changes in .mp3 files names changes I do (i.e. My_Song.mp3 to MY_SONG.mp3), new files I add or files I delete...
But there are two things I can't sync right now. Playlists and files info attributes (i.e. when I change the soundtrack Genre of one of my soundtrack it doesn't sync with the same soundtrack on my other mac).
I know I can export+import playlist but I don't know how to actually sync playlists using Google Drive. iTunes has a special way of "storing" playlists. What I want is, for example, I create/modify a playlist on my Mac1 and it sync to Mac2 via Google sync.
So, how can I make my playlists + any changes I make on my soundtracks (not the mp3 files) sync between my Macs using Google Drive?
Thank you.

Periodic posts on people wanting to do something like this and no good answer.
All that information is in the library files.
What are the iTunes library files? - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1660
More on iTunes library files and what they do - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITunes#Media_management
What are all those iTunes files? - http://www.macworld.com/article/139974/2009/04/itunes_files.html
Where are my iTunes files located? - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1391
Apple's attempt at doing this is Home Sharing but that's more of a track by track basis, not the whole library. The only way you will get it to automatically "sync" is to share a common set of library files with both computers (note, only one computer can open a library file at a time).

Best solution to sync photo libraries between two macs?

I'm trying to help my father in law who has a new iMac, MacBook Pro, and dot mac/mobile me account. He wants the iPhoto library to be in sync on each machine. If he adds a new photo to one machine, he would like to see it on the other, and have his iPhoto album and preference settings match.
I've tried to accomplish this using iDisk syncing, but it really doesn't seem to work.
Is there a way to smoothly accomplish this via mobile me/dot mac?
If not, what third party application would anyone recommend?
Many thanks for any advice or help!
He's got about 7+GB in photos, and is using iPhoto '08 with two 10.5.4 Macs. I'd like to be able to sync to "the cloud", since he travels with the MacBook.

As Larry pointed out the only way to get two libraries to be the same is use iPLM to either merge the two libraries into one and then copy the merged library to the other Mac or just copy the Events from one library to the other and vice versa.
Trying to use a sync application will only damage both libraries, i.e putting photos in each library that the other's database file doesn't know about and maybe moving one database file to the other library which it's not associated with.
TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger or later), 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 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.
Note: There now an Automator backup application for iPhoto 5 that will work with Tiger or Leopard.

Sharing Keynote documents between two macs.

I am Sharing Keynote documents between my two macs via wi-fi, so my question , is there a potential problem of data lost when going back and for from one computer to the other. It is very important that no possible problems may happen for important lectures.....
Thanks

Ok that sounds good, Both computers should have all the fonts, no music at the moment.
I was wondering that I had data lost when transferenig keynote documents using usb memory sticks, lost of pictures, the trick that avoid that was compressing the document before placing it into the usb memory stick.....I undertood that was because of the memory stick format. So going from computer to computer through wifi should be fine...just does recomendations that you were saying. Right ?

Sharing canon i9900 between two macs

I am having difficulties connecting the one printer between the two macs. Both are iMacs, and one is using Leopard while the other still uses Tiger. The printer is directly connected to the Tiger iMac, and is connected wirelessly to the Leopard. I can print from the Leopard but cannot access any of the settings for the printer (eg. quality and media, paper selection, marks and bleeds, etc.)
Is there an easy fix to this problem?
Thank you!

There are two things you need to be aware of.
The first is that Leopard by default has a minimised print dialog, meaning that only the printer queue and presets menu is seen. To view the additional driver settings when you print, you need to expand the print dialog by clicking the triangle tab next to the printer menu. This will then show the additional Canon menus.
The second item is that the Canon driver has to be installed on both the local Mac (the one sharing the printer) and the client Mac (the one connecting to the share). If the client Mac doesn't have the same driver installed as the sharing Mac, then it will get only the default Apple driver menus, such as Layout and Scheduler. Or, if the Gutenprint drivers are installed on the Mac, and the same model is supported, then it could default to the Gutenprint driver on the client Mac. Your best approach is to delete the current queue on the client Mac and then install the same version of Canon driver onto the Leopard Mac. Then when you add the queue again, it should default to Canon IJ Printer.
PaHu

Sharing iPhoto library between a Mac and a PC

Anyone have any tips on this one?
My wife and I would like to share the iPhoto library between her PC laptop and my Mac Pro. What's the best way to go about this?
Would it be best to put the library up on the wireless drive attached to the Airport Extreme wireless and share that way. I would format the drive for PC so it would be readable from both computers.
Option 2 is to put the iPhoto library on an external PC formatted drive and and then physically attach it to whatever computer is using the library.
I know there are probably problems that come with these methods and possibly that it wouldn't work at all. Not sure exactly. Thought I'd check in before I opened a huge can-o-worms.
Thanks!

1. iPhoto has no cross-platform capabilities whatsoever.
2. Putting the iPhoto Library on a disk formatted for PC is a frequent cause of problems. Folks report issue with updating the Library, keywords, accessing the pics in other apps and so on.
3. Using iPhoto on a wireless connection is also not recommended. Connection dropouts are a fact of life on wireless (even very brief ones.) If one occurs while iPhoto is writing to the Library then the Library will be corrupted.
4. If you look inside the iPhoto Library Folder you can see how that Library is organised: there are various files, which are the Library itself and some ancillary files. Then you have three core folders
Originals are the photos as they were downloaded from your camera or scanner.
(ii) Modified contains edited pics, shots that you have cropped, rotated or changed in any way.
(iii) Data holds the thumbnails the the app needs to show you the photos in the iPhoto Window.
Remember: iPhoto depends on the structure as well as the contents of this folder. Moving things, renaming things or otherwise making changes will prevent iPhoto from working and could even cause you to damage or lose your photos.
Browsing through the Library folder with another app - for instance, whatever you use to view the pics on the Windows machine - can alter the structure of the Library. Another recipe for disaster.
What you can do:
1. Use an app that has a cross platform capability such as Microsoft’s Expression
2. Run a *Referenced Library*:
Simply go to iPhoto Menu -> Preferences -> Advanced and uncheck 'Copy Files to the iPhoto Library on Import'.
Now iPhoto will not copy the files, but rather simply reference them on your HD. To do this it will create an alias in the Originals Folder that points to your file. It will still create a thumbnail and, if you modify the pics, a Modified version within the iPhoto Library Folder.
However, you need to be aware of a number of potential pitfalls using this system.
1. Import and deleting pics are more complex procedures
2. You cannot move or rename the files on your system or iPhoto will lose track of them on systems prior to 10.5 and iPhoto 08. Even with the later versions issues can still arise if you move the referenced files to new volumes or between volumes.
3. Most importantly, migrating to a new disk or computer can be much more complex.
I don’t recommend it but this will allow you to share the Original files (though not the edited versions.)
Regards
TD

Sharing iPhoto libraries between two Macs

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