Mac: How two users can use the same local catalog?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ChuvakRR
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

ChuvakRR

Guest
Greetings all,

Have recently switched to the Mac and I can't figure out how to enable my wife and me to use the same Lightroom catalog from separate logins. The catalog is local and there is no simultaneous use. It appears that only one of us has read/write privs to the files. Changing that does not make a difference. Lightroom can only open the catalog for one of us. This was not an issue on a PC.

Am I missing something? Don't see why this should not be possible. Any help would be highly appreciated.

Many thanks,
-Mike
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
First Welcome Mike!

I wrote an article about this in the "Tips & Tricks" section a year ago. This was for Windows. But the process is the same for a Mac (That I now use). As long as both of you have a read/write access to a given folder, you can put the Catalog and associated files and subfolders there. Just double click the catalog at it's new location and tell Lightroom to always load this one. Do the same for each user and you are all set.

Note that some presets you created may not follow but you can copy them for another user. I also wrote another Tip about "Where are my Presets gone?". Just adapt the principle to Mac's Presets location.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks for the info Denis.

This is strange, since I put all Lightroom stuff into the Shared folder. Will check again and follow your suggestions.

Thanks!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You need to check the Shared folder. It is most likely Read Only for anyone but you. You can highlight the folder and get info. At the bottom of the dialog you will see what rights everyone has. From there you can update them.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Also, one gotcha. Only one user can access the same Catalog at a time. Beware of Catalog corruption. LR should not let more than one user open it at a time anyhow!

Don
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
How true Don! :D

Maybe by 3.' we can have a true networkable database with simultaneous users. Heck, Dreamweaver has a check in/check out feature already. As does InCopy, etc..

That would broaden the appeal to the multiple photographer shops.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
DonRicklin said:
Also, one gotcha. Only one user can access the same Catalog at a time. Beware of Catalog corruption. LR should not let more than one user open it at a time anyhow!

Don
Click to expand...
Don and Gene, we are not talking about this here! We are talking about different logins on only one computer in such a way that only one is logged at a time... And both users want to use the same catalog each in their turn... ;)
Look at the very first sentence of the OP.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I would be wary of doing this. What will happen if both users are logged in at the same time ie. fast user switching? This might cause catalogue corruption or even render LR useless.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The lock file should prevent 2 different users trying to use the catalog at the same time, so that shouldn't be an issue. You probably will need to change the permissions to allow either user to use it though.

Mike, welcome! Hope we haven't all managed to confuse you! ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Denis Pagé said:
Don and Gene, we are not talking about this here! We are talking about different logins on only one computer in such a way that only one is logged at a time... And both users want to use the same catalog each in their turn... ;)
Look at the very first sentence of the OP.
Click to expand...
Yes, Denis, I know. And that's what my answer addresses. The shared folder Mike talks about still needs to be read/write for his wife before she can access and write to it. ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thank you all very much for the help. Issue is resolved, but this info could be useful to others:

I did a simple test by creating a new catalog in HD root. By default my wife could not access it. Changing her to read/write on the folder, .lrdata and .lrcat files does not work either. What worked is adding her read/write privs on the folder and them selecting "Apply to enclosed items" on the bottom of the Info panel.

I suspect this is because .lrdata file is actually a folder with many folders inside (all are exposed on the PC, but hidden on the Mac), so there is no other way to change permissions on those internal folders.

I find it strange having to do this, but it works.
-Mike
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Andrew Hayton;2368' said:
I would be wary of doing this. What will happen if both users are logged in at the same time ie. fast user switching? This might cause catalogue corruption or even render LR useless.
Click to expand...
Even in these conditions, at first I do not think it is a problem because:
  1. They will use the same Journal. This is the file used by SQLite to record changes not yet hard written to HD.
  2. They will use same Lock file. If that lock file prevent one user to work on an active image in the other session then fine. If not, it will be like the second user is just continuing to make adjustments to the same image.
All that said, I do not recommend letting an open session while login with another unless a TEST Catalog is being used in the context of fast user switching to work on the very same image or images set. It may do for simple viewing and light work but I really see problems coming if one start a Web site or slide show rendering and the other user switch to develop on the very same image set!

So, better safe than sorry... ;)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top