new Photos app sharing library across users

Hello everyone

I also did it the way Yeehat suggested to:

Our Photos library is in /Users/Shared, I granted read/write permissions to me, my wife and everyone, wheel has only read permissions (I made changed via the Finder, not the Terminal). Both of us can upload, view and edit photos to this library from administrator (mine) and standard (her) accounts, though of course not at the same time

For a certain time both my wife an I could even import photos into that same library. However, after a few weeks importing no longer worked for my wife and I had to give her again full read/write permissions for all subfolders so it works again. I wonder how and when the permissions get lost after a while...

I wonder how and when the permissions get lost after a while...

The function of the Shared folder has changed since earlier systems so it's not compatible with a complex system like a Photos or iPhoto library.

As have been mentioned before the best solution is an external HD, particularly for a desktop Mac. Another option would be a disk image created in a size that would accommodate the Photos library and allow for expansion over time and set that to have ownership ignored. It can be placed in the Share folder for all users to have access to.

The downside to it is that the disk image will have to be mounted each time a user wants to access the library and it must be closed when that user is finished so another user can open and use the disk image and library.

Our Photos library is in /Users/Shared, I granted read/write permissions to me, my wife and everyone, wheel has only read permissions (I made changed via the Finder, not the Terminal). Both of us can upload, view and edit photos to this library from administrator (mine) and standard (her) accounts, though of course not at the same time

Old Toad, thanks for pointing to this one more time. However, I would prefer to have that library on the internal drive.

In reference to the above, I have noticed the following:

• Such granted read/write permission is applied only toexisting files, folders and subfolders
• As soon as me or my wife import new photos, the new subfolders (automatically created by Photos) and the imported photos have only read/write permission for the user that has imported. But not for the other.

There should be a way to force the system to apply the permissions of a parent folder to a newly created subfolder....

There should be a way to force the system to apply the permissions of a parent folder to a newly created subfolder....

Could be but that's beyond my pay grade.

This is the want and need of most married couples sharing the same Mac. It is a fundamental, basic need that should be made easier by Apple.

^ What he said!

So in conclusion, am I correct in thinking at the time of writing if I wish to access the same 'Photos' library on my iMac (late 2014) that is running OS X 10.11.3 on both my Admin account, and my wife's Admin account. Then the only choices are the following:-

- I have to either use iCloud and can only share individual albums at a time? (No, just no)

- I have to use an external drive as the designated system photo library on both Admin accounts? (More cables, more expense, more hassle)

- Or create a disk image as suggested by Old Toad, which requires manual mounting each time it is open/ closed? (Another step backwards)

I would love to hear a simple solution, but I have a feeling this is yet another example of the end user being forced up against a pay wall.

Was my purchase of this beautiful machine (and all the other Macs/ iPhones/ iPads purchased over the last 20 years) not enough to guarantee a decent working photo library?

Help!

I have the same problem as most of you here: how can I share one library on one mac between two users. I have tried solving it with extended attributes and ACLs...in vain. To understand the root of the problem better, I have two question:

1. Has anyone tried solving this issue with extended attributes? Can you set ACL on files and folders and force them to inherit ownership of the parent folder?

2. Where does it go wrong? Is it in the library structure that Photos creates? Or is it also in the permissions on the photos themselves?

Thanks

Tom

2. Where does it go wrong? Is it in the library structure that Photos creates? Or is it also in the permissions on the photos themselves?

Tom, it goes wrong because the Photos Library is a package - a folder of bundled internal items. The access control lists to the library itself do not help, because working with the library from a different user account will change the ownership of internal database files or create new internal files that the previous owner has no access to.

It used to be cumbersome to share a library while using Aperture or iPhoto, but at least it was possible on an external drive with the "Ignore Ownership" flag. That old stand-by will not help much with Photos, at least not, if we want to share our system photo library. the system Photo Library has the added complication that it will me "in use", as long as we are logged in. To give another user access to our system photo library on the same mac we have not only to quit Photos, we have to completely log off.

Thanks!

In the end though, packages are just folders. If you chmod -R on a package, that should change the attributes of all items within the package. I guess though Photos messes up the permissions and undoes the manual permissions ?!

The workaround with a sparse image would solve this issue for me though.

Regarding the lock on the Library. Have people already found out which processes are locking the library, e.g. by inspecting a process-tree in Activity Monitor? Am I correct when I say that the lock only becomes effective after Photos is launched the first time in a session? If so, you could write a script that kills these processes after Photos quits. Then at least you do not need to log-off.

In the end though, packages are just folders. If you chmod -R on a package, that should change the attributes of all items within the package.

And that works for a Finder set of folders. Not for a database where the permissions are managed by the DB and not the Finder.

LLaunch the Console and check for messages with Photo in the name. If you are using iCloud in any way, you will be seeing cloudphotosd using the library frequently, and photos model is also continually accessin zhe library, mainly, if you are using applications that can use the Media browser.

these processes are important for updating the Photos Library.

i Would not interfere with them.

Thanks Leonie and Terence! I understand the problem(s) now.

This messes up my plans 🙂 Reverting back to iPhoto is not an option, as Apple has dropped support for it.

The way i see it now, I can do three things:

1. accept the way Photos works and only use it in a single user space

2. apply the workaround and accept the caveats mentioned in this thread

3. use an alternative program to manage my photos that does allow sharing the library between users

Regarding #3, anyone has suggestions? I have played a bit with Lightroom, but it's too complex for the simple management of photos I am aiming at. Is Elements a good option?

Many thanks again.

Depends on what you're requirements are. Isn't Elements an editor?

I simply want to organise my photos into albums, create smart selections, do some basic editing (crop, enhance colours, etc.), export (smart) selections for printing and (hopefully) easily create/print photobooks. Essentially I want the functionality of Photos, but then with the ability to share between users.

So you want all that and the ability to share across users...

Really, putting the library on an external is by far the most simple solution. There are no other apps in this price range that do all that you list - some will do a few but won't do books and so on. Any that offer non-destructive processing will have similar sharing issues. So, what's your budget?

To REALLY do this, you need to use ACLs and a custom group to share the library between accounts.

First, create the group: Go to System Preferences --> Users & Groups. Unlock and authenticate, then click the + sign above the lock. Under the dropdown for "New" select "Group", and create a new group named "photosharing". Under Membership, check all the user accounts you want included in the sharing.

Next, log in as an administrator and open the terminal. Paste in the following text all at once:

sudo chmod -R +a "photosharing allow delete,chown,list,search,add_file,\

add_subdirectory,delete_child,file_inherit,directory_inherit" \

Then press enter and enter the admin password if prompted.

Finally, drag the Photos library you want to share into the terminal window and press enter again.

Voila. Both users should now have access to the library. The /Users/Shared directory is probably the ideal place to have your library located for something like this, but an external drive would work as well. I've used this for sharing iPhoto libraries for years, and recently reused it when I was testing out the Photos app after upgrading to El Capitan.

Note that the app can't be running in both users at the same time. So If one user is logged in with the app open, and you fast user switch into the other user and try to launch the Photos app, you'll get a notice that the library is locked by another user. You'll always need to remember to quit the app in one user before you can launch it in another user.

In addition, doing this won't cause you to share an iCloud Photo library between users, just the library on the local machine. If each user wants to enable iCloud Photo Library (it sounds like that's not the case here), you'll each be uploading your library to the cloud separately, (and pay any monthly storage fees) and Apple will store and bill for both copies.