darktable-org / darktable-org/darktable

Darktable - working on two computers with one hard drive / synchronise ALL EDITS

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#18,253 55 comments 0 reactions 1 assignee View on GitHub

@wpferguson is already working on this.

Since Jan 28, 2025.

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Description

I have to try here since this topic looks like does not have a good solution…
With Darktable, I am working in parallel with two computers:

  • PC/Windows: Darktable 4.8.1 to work “at home” and
  • Macbook M3 Pro: Darktable 4.8.0 as “on the way” device

I hold my photos on an external 2TB SSD and plug this SSD to one or another computer when I need.
The problem is the SYNCHRONISATION of the LATEST STATUS I worked on. In the Darktable, I went to preferences > storage > look for updated XMP files on startup… there, I sat an “OK”.
Since I have worked on the MAC on my files e.g. during a trip, then I want to proceed WITH THE SAME CHANGES further on my home PC. I plug in the SSD and get 4 possibilities to synchronise the changes in my workflow:

  1. Keep the XMP edit
  2. Keep the database edit
  3. Keep the newest edit
  4. Keep the oldest edit
    Let’s skip the last one/oldest edit. I want the most recent edits.
    So, my question is: If I want to keep Darktable edits (like contrast, crop, colour, lens correction, etc.), but also my photo rating in stars and colours, metadata changes, but also if I have duplicated or deleted some edits/photos in Darktable (there will be then more or less XMP-files near my DNG if I want to make few versions of one photo) … so well, I want to have ALL LAST CHANGES transferred into the other computer/Darktable.
    I have got a hint from a dear YouTuber, but still cannot synchronise ALL EDITS – no matter if I chose: Keep the XMP edit, Keep the database edit or Keep the newest edit.
    I get/synchronise the last changes, but duplicates or deleted duplicates or photo evaluation are not always synchronised. I can than “remove the film roll” and again “add to library” this filmroll again. This action brings all edits into the Darktable, but I cannot believe this is the way of synchronising the libraries.
    Can this problem be solved?
    Can we soon expect a solution (e.g. upgrade), so this will be possible?

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