iPhoto 6 offer legion options for apportion picture files with other people . For example , you may start a photocast , turn on iPhoto ’s sharing options , or ship photos in an east - mail . But the syllabus does n’t offer an easy way to give multiple users or multiple Macs full access code to anentireiPhoto library — include keywords , album , and ratings .
Perhaps you want to depute keywords in your supererogatory meter at work , and then send albums to the World Wide Web from your iMac at home . Or maybe you and your partner want to be able to upload photograph to a joint depository library from disjoined user account . Whether you have multiple Macs , multiple users , or both , there are only a few ways to apportion your iPhoto library seamlessly . Though the three options I line in this article require a bit of apparatus workplace , you wo n’t take any extra software system or arcane Unix mastery . The alternative you choose will count on your frame-up . ( Although we tested these techniques with iPhoto 6 , they should also work with iPhoto 5 . )
Keep in mind that no matter which of these methods you expend , only one person at a time may utilize a shared iPhoto Library leaflet .
Option 1: Use a Shared Hard Drive
One of the easy ways to give multiple users or multiple Macs access to the same iPhoto depository library is to put the library on an external hard drive that everyone can reach . This option excrete any problems with permissions and free up saucer space on your Mac .
If you have an iPod with fresh computer storage blank , you’re able to use it as an international hard drive and take your library with you wherever you go ( to set this up , select Enable Disk Use in iTunes ’ iPod preference pane ) .
Keep in mind that external hard driveway are more vulnerable to damage or thieving . If you choose this option , I recommend regular backups to ensure that you do n’t turn a loss all of your photos in one diagonal of bad luck .
Step 1In the Finder , select the image for the external heavy private road on which you want to store the partake in iPhoto Library folder . select Indian file : Get Info to start the drive ’s Info window .
tread 2In the Ownership & Permissions pane ( if the pane is n’t visible , select the triangle next to its name ) , make certain the Ignore Ownership On This Volume pick is turned on , and then end the Info windowpane .
abuse 3In the Finder , locate the iPhoto Library leaflet you want to divvy up ( you ’ll detect it in the user leaflet ’s Pictures folder ) . Then drag the folder to the external hard drive .
miss in Action : If you move your iPhoto subroutine library to a raw localization ( to make it easy to share with others ) , you ’ll need to tell iPhoto where to look for it . concur down the alternative Francis Scott Key while launching the program to bring up the Choose Photo Library dialog boxful .
whole step 4The first prison term you open iPhoto in each account or on each computing machine , carry down the choice key while launching the programme . In the Choose Photo Library dialog boxwood that appears ( see the screenshot to the right ) , press Choose Library . voyage to the iPhoto Library folder on the external hard ride and press Open . You should have to do this only once . The next time you spread out iPhoto , it will know to look on the specified drive for your depository library .
TipIf the two Macs in question are your own laptop and desktop system , consider leaving the iPhoto Library booklet on the laptop . When you need to get to the library from your background , link up the two computers via FireWire and then boot the laptop in FireWire Target Disk Mode ( agree down the T Florida key while the laptop starts up ) . You ’ll now be able to use it as an external gruelling effort .
Option 2: Use a Shared Disk Image
Thanks to Mac OS X ’s permission system , share resources between two or more user accounts on the same Mac can be a crafty operation . Sure , you could send your iPhoto library in an account that every user has access to , but in doing so you ’d lose the benefits of individual account statement — personalise workspaces , unassailable accession to personal single file and documents , and so on .
If you want to keep user accounts secure but do n’t have an external hard drive , you’re able to work around OS X ’s permission conundrum by placing adisk imageof your iPhoto library in the shared out folder for other user . A saucer image is a extra file that OS X delicacy as though it were an extraneous hard record , allow you spell to and read from it .
So why use a disk trope instead of the iPhoto Library folder ? If you store the iPhoto Library folder in the divided up brochure , iPhoto falsely sets permissions on thumbnails for newly imported effigy . By default atomic number 76 ten ignores license on a disk image . The downside of using a disk image is that you ’ll have to rise the disk image before each iPhoto session , and unmount it before anyone else can use it .
Step 1Open Disk Utility ( /Applications / Utilities ) , and tap the New Image button .
produce a Disk ImageWhen you ’re creating a disk range of a function for your iPhoto library , be certain to give yourself plenty of room and to set the Encryption menu to None . Then set the Format menu to Sparse Disk Image .
pace 2In the Save As text subject , enter a name for the magnetic disc image ( for exercise , iPhoto Image ) , and then save it in the /Users / Shared folder . From the Size pop - up menu , choose Custom . plant the heavy imaginable size for your library ( do n’t scant — you ca n’t expand the image subsequently , and choose a big sizing does n’t expend any more blank space now ) . Leave Encryption set to None ( unless those pic are exceedingly secret ) , and then choose Sparse Disk Image from the Format drink down - up bill of fare ( see the screenshot on the rightfield ) . When you ’re done , fall into place on Create . Disk Utility will produce the disk - range of a function Indian file and go up it as a volume .
Step 3In the Finder , afford the divided folder ( /Users / share ) and choose the new disk effigy file . Choose File : Get Info to open up the Info window .
mistreat 4In the Ownership & Permissions superman , press the Details trilateral , and then press the lock icon next to the Owner pop - up fare . prefer Unknown from the Owner pop up - up card , enter your administrator password when prompted , and then exit the Info windowpane .
Step 5Drag the iPhoto Library folder from the exploiter pamphlet ’s Pictures folder to the mounted saucer image you just created .
Step 6In the currently active news report , hold down the choice key while plunge iPhoto . When the Choose Photo Library dialog box appears , snap on Choose Library and pick out the iPhoto Library leaflet from the mounted platter image .
whole step 7Quit iPhoto . Unmount the disc image by dragging it to the Eject ( Trash ) icon in the Dock .
Step 8Switch to the second user account via Fast User Switching . In the Finder , launch the Shared leaflet and two-fold - pawl on the magnetic disk - image single file to mount it . Then double step 6 , so iPhoto knows where to find oneself the iPhoto Library brochure . You ’ll necessitate to do this for each exploiter who will be get at the disk image .
When you ’re done , every drug user should be capable to launch iPhoto normally . However , each person must mount the disk image before launch iPhoto and must unmount the disk image before anyone else can utilize it . In Tiger , you may easily automate the appendage of ride the disc range of a function and opening iPhoto ( go to macworld.com/1263 to download the necessary Automator workflow ) .
Option 3: Use a Shared Network Volume
If you have multiple Macs networked together via 100BaseT or faster Ethernet , you may give everyone accession to a single iPhoto subroutine library by plac - ing it on a shared internet volume ( though you may use an 802.11 grand wireless internet for this , performance may be debilitatingly slow ) . Here I ’ll show you how to use your own Mac to share the iPhoto library . An even better option might be to store the shared iPhoto Library folder on a central file server accessible to all networked mack . If you go that path , just make certain that everyone is allow to lumber in to the server account that holds the iPhoto Library pamphlet .
tread 1On the Mac that will host the partake iPhoto Library brochure , start the Sharing orientation acid , turn on the Personal File Sharing selection , and fall into place on the Start button .
abuse 2On each remote Mac , open up a new Finder window and take the internet icon in the sidebar . pick out the name of the legion Mac and press Connect . Enter the user name and password for the history that have the iPhoto library , and activate the Remember This Password In My Keychain pick . In the next dialogue box seat , select your menage directory as the volume to wax and select OK . The meshwork volume will now appear in the Finder ’s sidebar .
Step 3While still on the distant Mac , bear down the option key as you launch iPhoto . press Choose Library , and then choose the iPhoto Library leaflet on the apportion meshing loudness .
After performing these steps , you and everyone else partake the iPhoto Library folder can launch iPhoto normally .
One last tip
If you ’re easy entering Unix instruction into Terminal , there ’s an easier way to partake in an iPhoto Library brochure across multiple accounts on the same Mac . The secret lies in using Access Control Lists in Tiger . Fordetails on setting this up , go here .
