Hi, I've moved my iPhoto library to the shared folder. have set the permission to be read/write for all users on my Mac mini. however when each user logs in and opens iPhoto we all get the message "iPhoto library is locked" or needs repairing. how do I fix this?
Mac mini 2018 or later
Are you trying to share an iPhoto Library or a Photos Library? You mention iPhoto, but are asking in the Photos forum?
You cannot use fast user switching, when trying to share a Photos library. The library will always be in use, while the other users are logged in.
When you move the library to a separate volume, where you can set the "Ignore Ownership" flag, use a volume, that is not used for Time Machine backups. It is not possible to ignore the ownership on a Time Machine volume.
The shared folder has changed a couple of systems ago and can no longer be used for sharing a working Photos library. It doesn't have the total ownership ignoring that is necessary for such an endeavor.
What you need is an external HD formatted according to this screenshot:
This will allow two users to run the library without the locked library issue.
While it may be normal to want to share a common photo library among family members, this isn't something that Apple has chosen to make easy (or necessarily even possible). It certainly isn't a capability they have announced, promoted, or documented. Some users have found various ways to fill the gap at times, but those methods tend to fail when Apple releases a new version.
Photos library on a Mac mini. Only one user is logged in at a time. Moved the photo library to the shared folder on the drive but keep getting the error messages. Surely this is normal to want to have one photo library that family members can use and add too rather than having separate smaller collection s?
The shared folder will is meant for sharing documents, but It does not suffice to give read/write access to the Photos Library. You have to grant the read/write access every time - over and over again, after a different user accessed the library. As soon as you open a Photos Library, Photos will write to it, and the new files will have a different ownership.
As long as the Photos Library is not on volume, where the "Ignore ownership on this volume" flag can be enabled, you will always have ownership and permission problems. And you can only set this flag on a volume, where not system is installed and no Time Machine backups are stored.
Instead of using the shared folder, try to use a second portion on your Mac, if you do not want to use an external volume.
shared iphoto library
