Synchronize preferences

[oryk]

How is it possible to synchronize PM preferences of different users on one MAC ?

On my MAC are different users. They all should work with PM and the same workaround.

[Kirk Baker]

Oryk,

How is it possible to synchronize PM preferences of different users on one MAC ?

On my MAC are different users. They all should work with PM and the same workaround.

I'm not sure what you're asking?  Each user gets their own set of preferences.  If you want to copy them manually from one user account to the other then you can certainly do that, but there is no mechanism to allow one user to change another user's preferences.  The Export and Import buttons in the Preferences dialog is one way of copying one set of preferences to another account or even another computer.

-Kirk

[mbbphoto]

This would be fantastic! (Post catalog!!!!)

[Juerg]

Hello everyone,

Sorry if I jump in here, but my qustion fits the qustion and rather than start a new thread I may ask here:

I just ugraded my laptop (running Vista 32-bit) to V5. I then copied the preference file from my PC (Win 7 64-bit) onto the laptop and importet it. I got the pop-up window asking whether I want to merge if possbile or overwrite all preferences on the laptop.

How are the options "Overwrite" or "Merge where possible" during the import of preferences  suppose to work?

When I select to overwrite all, only a few preferences are actually imported. But even worse, when starting PM it will display a error message and shut down during start.

When I select "merge where possible" all preferences are copied onto the laptop (even I still get the message some settings cannot be merged) and PM will also start without problem.

What is the difference between "overwrite all" and "merge where possible"? I mean, I understand it (I think), but something is not working with the "overwrite" option.

[Kirk Baker]

I just ugraded my laptop (running Vista 32-bit) to V5. I then copied the preference file from my PC (Win 7 64-bit) onto the laptop and importet it. I got the pop-up window asking whether I want to merge if possbile or overwrite all preferences on the laptop.

How are the options "Overwrite" or "Merge where possible" during the import of preferences  suppose to work?

When I select to overwrite all, only a few preferences are actually imported. But even worse, when starting PM it will display a error message and shut down during start.

When I select "merge where possible" all preferences are copied onto the laptop (even I still get the message some settings cannot be merged) and PM will also start without problem.

What is the difference between "overwrite all" and "merge where possible"? I mean, I understand it (I think), but something is not working with the "overwrite" option.

Merge where possible does the same thing as Overwrite does with the exception of things that are lists, for instance Keywords, Photographers, etc.  They'll get added to your current Keywords, Photographers, etc.

What error message did you get during startup?

-Kirk

[Juerg]

Hi Kirk,

Merge where possible does the same thing as Overwrite does with the exception of things that are lists, for instance Keywords, Photographers, etc.  They'll get added to your current Keywords, Photographers, etc.

Thanks for the explanation.

Am I also correct that if I select "overwrite", PM will only overwrite preference files/folders that already exist in the preference folder of the local machine from the pref-backup file, but not also copy and add files/folders that don't exist on the local machine?

At least that seems how it works in my case.

What error message did you get during startup?

It was the message "Photomechanic encountered a problem and needs to shut down" with the process bar below "Windows is checking for a solution of this problem...". But as usual, it never finds a solution for any such problem. Didn't find one in that case either.

[Kirk Baker]

Juerg,

Merge where possible does the same thing as Overwrite does with the exception of things that are lists, for instance Keywords, Photographers, etc.  They'll get added to your current Keywords, Photographers, etc.

Thanks for the explanation.

Am I also correct that if I select "overwrite", PM will only overwrite preference files/folders that already exist in the preference folder of the local machine from the pref-backup file, but not also copy and add files/folders that don't exist on the local machine?

Only items that are selected for import are imported, regardless of the Overwrite/Merge option.

-Kirk

[Juerg]

Kirk,

Only items that are selected for import are imported, regardless of the Overwrite/Merge option.

I figured that much. But when selecting "overwrite", only the very few basic preferences are acutally loaded, even if all items are selected.

[Kirk Baker]

Juerg,

Only items that are selected for import are imported, regardless of the Overwrite/Merge option.

I figured that much. But when selecting "overwrite", only the very few basic preferences are acutally loaded, even if all items are selected.

That sounds like a bug to me.

-Kirk

[oryk]

what happens if I synchronize the <com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic> folders of the user's library with apps like 'SynchTwoFolders' or 'MacDropAny' ?

[Kirk Baker]

what happens if I synchronize the <com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic> folders of the user's library with apps like 'SynchTwoFolders' or 'MacDropAny' ?

Any preferences that have file or folder paths in them won't work unless the exact same paths exist on both systems.

The other preferences should work.

-Kirk

[oryk]

Kirk,

it would be very helpful if the files 'com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic.plist' and 'com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic.LSSharedFileList.plist' are in the 'com.camerabits.Photomechanic'-folder.
So you can synchronize ALL PM-preferences.

[Ben Curtis]

If the paths were saved as ~/example wouldn't it work for any user so long as they had the same subfolder structure?

Re: the synchronise prefs aspect. Could there be an option in PM to choose the location where all prefs are saved? That way one could redirect the location to eg a Dropbox folder and that would take care of prefs sync. Just an idea.

[Kirk Baker]

Oryk,

it would be very helpful if the files 'com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic.plist' and 'com.camerabits.PhotoMechanic.LSSharedFileList.plist' are in the 'com.camerabits.Photomechanic'-folder.
So you can synchronize ALL PM-preferences.

Those files are created by the OS, not Photo Mechanic and as such I have no control over where they go.

-Kirk

[Kirk Baker]

Ben,

If the paths were saved as ~/example wouldn't it work for any user so long as they had the same subfolder structure?

Re: the synchronise prefs aspect. Could there be an option in PM to choose the location where all prefs are saved? That way one could redirect the location to eg a Dropbox folder and that would take care of prefs sync. Just an idea.

Define what you mean by a Dropbox folder.  To me that means a folder that an application can write to but not read from.

The Import/Export preferences functionality is supposed to make all of this very simple and reliable.  If it isn't working, I'd like to fix it.  I don't want to create other methods that try to do the same thing.

-Kirk