Using Digikam Database from Two (Linux) User Accounts

[Rainer Dorsch-2]

Hi,

I am wondering if it is possible to use the digikam database from two user
accounts on a linux system. The main information I have in the database are
tags. If that does not work, would I help to write back the tags into the
photos itself?

Thanks
Rainer

--
Rainer Dorsch
http://bokomoko.de/

[Remco Viëtor]

On lundi 1 mai 2017 09:08:54 CEST Rainer Dorsch wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am wondering if it is possible to use the digikam database from two user
> accounts on a linux system. The main information I have in the database are
> tags. If that does not work, would I help to write back the tags into the
> photos itself?
>
> Thanks
> Rainer

I'd suggest placing the database (and the photo collection) in a directory
where both accounts have write access (if both have to be able to modify
data). If you have to restrict access to just those two users, you'll have to
play with group membership and permissions.

If you already have a database on one of the use accounts, you can test if
access from another account is possible by changing the permissions (read
permission for group should allow the other user to access the data). The
other account would have to set up its version of Digikam to point to the
database and image collection

I'm not sure both accounts can access the data simultanuously; it's not
something I'd try with SQLite or the internal MySQL server (and MySQL support
is still marked "experimental in GK 5.5.0). But as you talk about users 'on
*a* linux system' I assume that simultauous access isn't physically possible,
anyway. And according to the settings dialog the databases have to be located
on a *local* filesystem, anyway...

Writing the tags back into the photos still means both accounts need write
access to the image files (or even to the containing directories if you have to
create sidecar files, for e.g. raw format files).

Remco

[Helen]

>I'd suggest placing the database (and the photo collection) in a directory
>where both accounts have write access (if both have to be able to modify
>data).

this question was similar to a question I've had, and your answer might solve my problem as well as Rainer's.  How do you

put the database in a directory?  I'm not wanting a second access, I'm just wondering how to back up the database somewhere

in case I lose my original (via computer crash or other unfortunate incident).

Thanks much

Helen

On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 5:01 AM, Remco Viëtor <[hidden email]> wrote:

On lundi 1 mai 2017 09:08:54 CEST Rainer Dorsch wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am wondering if it is possible to use the digikam database from two user
> accounts on a linux system. The main information I have in the database are
> tags. If that does not work, would I help to write back the tags into the
> photos itself?
>
> Thanks
> Rainer

I'd suggest placing the database (and the photo collection) in a directory
where both accounts have write access (if both have to be able to modify
data). If you have to restrict access to just those two users, you'll have to
play with group membership and permissions.

If you already have a database on one of the use accounts, you can test if
access from another account is possible by changing the permissions (read
permission for group should allow the other user to access the data). The
other account would have to set up its version of Digikam to point to the
database and image collection

I'm not sure both accounts can access the data simultanuously; it's not
something I'd try with SQLite or the internal MySQL server (and MySQL support
is still marked "experimental in GK 5.5.0). But as you talk about users 'on
*a* linux system' I assume that simultauous access isn't physically possible,
anyway. And according to the settings dialog the databases have to be located
on a *local* filesystem, anyway...

Writing the tags back into the photos still means both accounts need write
access to the image files (or even to the containing directories if you have to
create sidecar files, for e.g. raw format files).

Remco

--

Le 01/05/2017 à 20:00, Helen a écrit :

> just wondering how to back up the database somewhere

database backup is a delicate problem.

* if you use sqlite or mysql but with only digikam, it's enough to stop
digikam and copy somewhere the database file (you defined where it is
for sqlite)

* if you use a larger mysql account, you have to use the right tool, for
example mysqldump

jdd

[Remco Viëtor]

On lundi 1 mai 2017 20:00:11 CEST Helen wrote:

> >I'd suggest placing the database (and the photo collection) in a directory
> >where both accounts have write access (if both have to be able to modify
> >data).
>
> this question was similar to a question I've had, and your answer might
> solve my problem as well as Rainer's.  How do you
> put the database in a directory?  I'm not wanting a second access, I'm just
> wondering how to back up the database somewhere
> in case I lose my original (via computer crash or other unfortunate
> incident).
> Thanks much
> Helen

IF you are using SQLite as the database engine, the digikam databases are
three ordinary files:
- digikam4.db
- recognition.db
- thumbnails-digikam.db
These can be copied like any other file.
To be safe, I make sure I have no Digikam running when backing up the files
(not sure what happens if one if the databases is changed during file copy, and
I'd rather not find out the hard way).

Remco