Using a common library between two Mac accounts

My wife and I are using our first Mac and taking/organizing pictures is a passion for both of us. Aperture is proving to be a great product, but one failing thus far is our ability to use a common Aperture library that we can use from both of our Mac accounts.
I have placed our Aperture Library in a shared folder and updated the permission on this library file (package actually) and all its enclosed files to allow Read/Write for both of our accounts. While each of our accounts can launch Aperture and view the pictures, once an edit is made, thumbnails regenerated, new pictures uploaded, etc..., Aperture keeps changing the file permissions on the underlying files (like the thumbnail file) to Read/Write only to the current account and Read to the staff/everyone group. Essentially, any previous permissions that I may have added are wiped away by Aperture . The primary effect of this is that the thumbnails basically disappear when being viewed from the other account (i.e., they are all gray).
Does anyone know a workaround for this problem? It seems like there should be a way to tell Aperture to use the default permissions assigned to its Aperture Library package. Any help would be most appreciated since my only "workaround" thus far is to always use Aperture from one of our accounts.

Well, I believe you are correct with the native OS; however, there was a nifty little workaround that seems to be the fit I was looking for:
1. I created a new Image that will store the Aperture Library with "no ownership"
2. I set the permissions on the resulting .dmg file to Read&Write for me, my wife, everyone, and staff.
3. I moved my existing Aperture Library file onto the new image.
4. I created the following AppleScript and saved it as an "Application" type (which launches when you click it)
-- We must unmount (detach) the AperturePhotos image in order
-- to make sure the launcher of Aperture is the one who mounts the disk image.
-- This way, the launcher becomes the "owner" of the image and all files are Read/Write to owner
tell application "Finder"
if (exists "AperturePhotos") then
do shell script "hdiutil detach /Volumes/AperturePhotos"
end if
do shell script "hdiutil attach /Users/Shared/ApertureImage.dmg"
end tell
-- Simply launch Aperture after mounting the Aperture Image
tell application "Aperture"
activate
end tell
5. Changed the icon of the AppleScript file to the Aperture Icon and place this script in the Dock
6. Changed the Aperture preferences to find the library on the new volume.
What this now does for me is automatically unmounts and remounts the disk image as the person launching Aperture and therefore becomes the owner of the files while using the app. It works just like I wanted. Hopefully, I will not run into any snags along the way .
Thanks again for your help.

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I would like the share an iTunes library between two different accounts on one Mac. How do I do this?

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jc_hering wrote:
that works for anything he purchases after he creates the new account. What about his current music that currently resides in my itunes library? How can I get his current music out of my library into his new account/library?? Thanks..
Copy it to his computer into his iTunes library and authorize his computer with the iTunes account used to purchase them..
You cannot tranfser items from one iTunes account to another. Purchased items remain part of the iTunes account is was purchased with.
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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.
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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
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I'm hoping someone can think of a creative solution to a problem I've encountered after upgrading to the latest OS on our Apple devices. Here is our specific use case:
Prior to iOS 8/OS X Yosemite, this was my configuration
Each Device (iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac) was configured as such:
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Most importantly, Photostream allowed EVERY photo on EVERY device to be automatically shared with every other device.
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BUT, due to Continuity and Hand-Off relying on the primary iCloud account, there is no way to share one iCloud Photo Gallery account across multiple users. The only way I've found to do that is to maintain a common primary iCloud account on each device that handles the iCloud Photo Gallery syncing, but then every device will respond to Hand-off and Continuity actions, which is obviously not ideal.
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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.

How do i share iPhoto library between two user accounts

I need to share my iphoto pictures between two accounts on the same computer

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.

Sync Aperture Library between two Macs

I apologize if this is an obvious question; I've searched this community and can't find an answer.
My wife and I currently have iMacs, and we both have iPhoto, and the problem is that we both tend to import pictures we take into our respective iPhoto libraries, but there's no way to easily sync them so we both have all pictures.
I'm intrigued by Aperture's purported "sync" capabilities. Hopefully, an Aperture expert here can tell me if AP3 has the ability to do what I described above - keep two individual copies of Aperture across two Macs on the same network in sync automatically?

csk wrote:
I apologize if this is an obvious question; I've searched this community and can't find an answer.
My wife and I currently have iMacs, and we both have iPhoto, and the problem is that we both tend to import pictures we take into our respective iPhoto libraries, but there's no way to easily sync them so we both have all pictures.
I'm intrigued by Aperture's purported "sync" capabilities. Hopefully, an Aperture expert here can tell me if AP3 has the ability to do what I described above - keep two individual copies of Aperture across two Macs on the same network in sync automatically?
Unfortunately it will be difficult to do this even with Aperture. I'm thinking the the 'sync' capabilities you heard of are Apertures merge library command.
Merging libraries is meant to facilitate what happens when a single user takes all or a part of their library out into the field and then wishes to merge the changes made when they return. So for instance I take a part of my library make changes to it, add new things to it and then merge it back into the original library. When I do the merge I have to tell Aperture which library to use to resolve conflicts. That is one of the libraries has to be made the master.
In a situation like you are describing where two independent users make changes to their respective libraries and then try to merge them which library is designated the master? If you make changes to image A in your library and leave image B alone but your wife does the opposite what should the merged library look like? As Aperture is now one or the other would have to rule.
If its just a question of images you each add independent of the other to your respective libraries you could work something out along the lines of exporting the new project from one library and importing into the other but trying to sync changes between two independent users would be difficult.

Sharing iTunes library between two Macs on Time Capsule

Hi there
I've just about persuaded my fiancee to get a MacBook, which would give us a mac-only household. If I got a Time Capsule, could we share an iTunes library? We each have an iPod and it would seem like a pain to have to recreate two entire libraries on the Time Capsule, much of which would be the same music.
I'm also assuming we could both use the TC as wireless Time Machine backup for our Macs - is this correct?
Finally, does anyone have a view on the likely range of TC relative to a standard Linksys 802.11g wireless router? The Linksys doesn't quite reach to the other end of my apartment and I'm wondering if the TC is likely to be better.
Very many thanks in advance.

Hello
You will run into pain. I just tried every found solution on Internet. Whatever you will do, it ends up in a hack. Fact is: iTunes administer your library only local. You CAN share your iTunes library on one Mac by menu settings in a network, BUT the Mac sharing its iTunes library MUST run all the time you want to listen to music from shared iTunes library even if the shared library (music files) is on the Time Capsule. It even wont work turn on "Wake up on LAN activity". The shared library will only be available as long as the Mac sharing its iTunes library is up and iTunes opened. That way it makes no big sense to have the music files in library physically on your Time Capsule. Another problem might come up when you stop listening shared iTunes library: As soon as the sharing Mac goes into StandBy mode (time depending) you can't access its library again. Standby must be stopped.
The other "solution" is also to have the whole library on a shared drive (Time Capsule) and to import it on both Macs. You will run quickly into Sync problems, beside its a pain to administer the song library that way: You have to import further songs twice, on both Macs to hear them on every one.
And of course, there are third pary hacks around nobody really wants to use.
After implementing Time Machine into Lepoard Apple wanted to make money out of it and offered Time Capsule mainly for storing data and backups (what both works great, also WLAN works fine).
I hope Apple will find a way in iTunes not to handle the music libraries so restrictive, so it can be accessed f.e. on Time Capsule while the Mac sharing its library must not run all the time.
Hope I could help.
Message was edited by: Tayger

How can i split my itunes library between two different accounts?

For years my son has always been a part of our itunes library. now that he is off at college, I would like to split his music off from our library to a library of his own with his own account info. Is this possible?

jc_hering wrote:
that works for anything he purchases after he creates the new account. What about his current music that currently resides in my itunes library? How can I get his current music out of my library into his new account/library?? Thanks..
Copy it to his computer into his iTunes library and authorize his computer with the iTunes account used to purchase them..
You cannot tranfser items from one iTunes account to another. Purchased items remain part of the iTunes account is was purchased with.
iTunes account - used to purchase items
iTunes library - where purchases (and CD RIPs) go on the computer

Sharing the same Aperture Library between two Mac's?

gents does any of you manage to share the same Aperture Library between your iMAC and a MacBook?
How can I do it without risking to lose anything or to jeopardize the integrity of my library backup?
the idea is to work on Projects while I am on the move and placing them back into my Main Library sitting on my iMAC at home...
Thx!
P

For each project you want to work on, CTRL + Click the project and "Export -> Project as new library". These new temporary libraries can be moved to your MacBook for working on.
When you come back, import the libraries back to your main Aperture Library with "File -> Import -> Library" and choose to merge your changes. The changes you made will be added to your main library. The temporary libraries can then be deleted.
Deleting them avoids the temptation of working on them later, possibly creating conflicts. It best to export new copies from your main library each time you work away so you know you have current up to date versions.
-Najinsky

How to use 1 time capsule between two macs

We have a mac and a mac book pro. How do we separate them on my time capsule so they dont share caledars, address books, etc?

Ok, isn't there a setting to set a password for your calendar?
But try this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2513?viewlocale=en_EN#
Check 'public your calendar'
Apple says that you HAVE TO PUBLISH your calendar. So I think that it isn't shared by default.
Check if you calendar is shared or not.
So I think that you son isn't able to sync your calendar, because you need 'account informations' to sync/connect an iPhone with a calendar.
And you SYNC your data and don't make backups on time capsule?
Because if you make backups from your mac and if you have protected your mac-account with a passwort, he can't access your data.

Sharing iPhoto library between two user accounts on the same Mac

My wife and I each have an iPad and we share the same iMac. We each have our own user account on the iMac. She syncs with her account, and I sync with mine. This works fine in general, but we store all our photos within iPhoto on my account. She is therefore unable to sync the photos to her iPad. The same is true with the music that we keep on the iTunes in my user account.
Is there a way for her to sync so that the photos and music sync with her iPad also?

I have used a program called iPhoto Library Manager (http://www.fatcatsoftware.com/iplm/) for years and it has worked like a charm. The program handles all of the permission/subfolder aspects transparently. Our iPhoto library is stored in my wife's default location, but I have seamless read-write access to it. When I open iPhoto, I see the same thing she does, and I have complete control.
To answer your question about music, there are a couple of approaches. If you turn on Sharing in iTunes, and your wife's iTunes is set to look for shared libraries, she'll be able to have complete access to play anything in your iTunes library (as long as you have iTunes open). I believe she also has rights to copy files from your iTunes library into hers.
That's great for playback on a Mac, but what you can't do is sync an iPod/iPad/iPhone with someone else's shared library, so here's how I do it:
1) My iTunes library is our "primary" library, located in my Public folder (where other users have read-access).
2) In my wife's iTunes, library, I hit keystroke Apple-O to add content to her library, and navigated over to my iTunes Library in my public folder to select it. Once I did this, her iTunes library looked like mine.
3) The key thing is that under her iTunes Advanced Preferences, I ensure that "Copy content to iTunes library" is deselected. Otherwise, it would make a copy of my entire library on her side, and that would chew up a ton of disk space.
Note that I don't think it's entirely necessary to have the iTunes library in the Public folder. It could stay in the default location as long as you changes your music folder to have read-access by other users. I moved mine before I knew any better.
When I add new content to my library that my wife wants, we hit Apple-O from her side and add it to her library. This setup is kludgy, but a) both users can sync the music to iDevices and b) it doesn't require having two copies of everything. Note that unlike the iPhoto Library Manager solution, this is a static thing. You have to manually update the "satellite" library to keep it up to date with the main one.
I'm not in front of my Mac, so some of my notations may not be completely accurate.
Good Luck!

What accounts are used for video iChat between two Macs?

I need to set up video iChat between a 10.6.8 Snow Leopard laptop and a 10.5.8 iMac. The machines are not on the same network. I have read all the posts and the help for iChat but the explanations of accounts are confusing. What accounts can be used for Mac-to-Mac video chat and how do we set them up?

Hi,
AIM or Jabber.
AIM valid accounts include any @mac.com ID (Lapsed, paid for (originally) or a Trial account) Any @me.com account that was linked to iCloud at the change to iCloud from MobileMe. And of course any @icloud.com ID.
If you have an Apple ID that started as one of these and "Migrated" to the other services other the years and is linked for Email they will work as separate IDs/Valid Screen Names with the AIM servers.
Effectively this then works Mac to Mac in Messages or iChat.
Jabber IDs.
Many servers http://www.jabberes.org/servers/ (this is only some and the site also list many that are Off line)
Also Google run what was called the GoogleTalk server which means Google Mail IDs can be used as Jabber IDs
Facebook run a separate Chat ID/Server which you have to sign up for at Facebook.
AS most server are what is called "Federated" you can add Jabber Buddies form one server to a Buddy List of another.
Therefore you may have a Google Buddy list as such but you can add Facebook Buddies or other Buddies on other Jabber servers.
Audio and Video Chat are Mac to Mac. You cannot Video or Audio chat to Web Browser login even if the Browser has the video plugin for that service (Basically web browser to web browser chat require the Video plugin for that service/server).
FaceTime will not work.
You can download FaceTime for the Snow Leopard Computer as it is an Intel only app.
However it cannot be downloaded for the Leopard computer.
Summary.
You may have IDs that will work in iChat 4 and 5 already (Apple IDs as AIM Names or Googlemail or Facebook IDs)
Chats are then Mac to Mac (and also AIM to AIM or Jabber to Jabber but not AIM to Jabber).
iChat will allow you also to do Screen Sharing as well as Audio Only chats
10:05 pm Saturday; August 9, 2014
 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Problems using one music library between two users

I followed to a T the instructions listed under here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1203 . This was echoed by a Macworld help topic and after several attempts I was able to get the primary user account to recognise the new location of the music files in the Users/Shared folder. I then switched over to the other user account and again tried changing the location and still no luck.
I would like it that all the files are in one location but the two different user accounts for my wife and I maintain separate playlists and ratings so that she can sync her new nano and I can sync my older iPod photo separately.
I tried the alias deal, but it does not keep separate listings and playlists and because I synced my ipod photo first it only shows her nano as a playlist.
Please help, I'm at my wit's end.

Under her account I then started iTunes to do the same. I pointed the app to where the files could be found, but it never populates her library with the songs.
That's normal. Resetting the location of the iTunes Music folder in the iTunes preferences, by itself, only sets where future purchases and imports go. In and of itself it won't reset where iTunes looks for tracks already present. What you need to do now is use the Add To Library command in iTunes and select the iTunes Music library in it's new location. That will then get the tracks into iTunes.
Note for the future that iTunes has no "folder watching" feature, so any new tracks you add from one account will have to be manually added in the other. There is a third-party utility called Hazel that says it can watch a folder and add new content to iTunes automatically, but I haven't tried it myself.

Using a common library between two Mac accounts

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