Want to delete the source file from the ext Hard drive using iphoto11

Question

I am testing using the external hard drive and turn off "copy items to the iphoto library", I put the iphoto library remain in the osx system disk. In case I forget to turn on the HD, iphoto still work.
But the problem that I have is that I have no way to delete the file that I do not want, within iphoto event, they are deleted, but the real thing is still in the folder of my ext HD.
Is there any better way to manage this, I have 500G of photos from another HD that I want to move into iphoto to manage it, but if I cannot has a easy way to delete the unwanted photos, I have no way to use it.
if I turn on "copy items to the iphoto library, would the library be as big as 300-500G, my macbook only has a HD of 60G only, what is the best way to do this?
any suggestion welcome.
thanks.

Answer 1

You have choosen to use a referenced library by choosing to uncheck the "copy imported items to the iPhoto library" - This is strongly not recommended as it makes importing more difficult, deleting more difficult as you are finding and replacing defective hardware or upgrading much harder - what you are seeing is that deleting is now a two step process - that is wha you have choosen - iPhoto only acts on the photos inside it's library - you have choosen to take care of the originals outside of the iPhoto library and you also have choosen to never change their path
If you are looking ot save space on yoru internal drive a much better way is to move your iPhoto library to the external drive -
Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)
And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto
And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive
This of cousre will break the path to the photos that you have imported while this option was unchecked
LN