Backing up iPhoto '08 -- Not so fun any more

[Nugget]

I use ChronoSync to back up my iPhoto library (along with the rest of my home directory) to an external hard drive. I also use ChronoSync to sync my iPhoto library between my PowerMac and my MacBook Pro. It's been a great solution and I've been totally happy with it until yesterday.

The new iPhoto '08 changed the way the photo library is stored on disk. Instead of a simple "iPhoto Library" folder in the Pictures folder, in iLife '08 Apple has decided to change it to an "iPhoto Library" package. Similar to the way an application package work, I suppose. It's still a directory in reality -- you can grope around in it with Terminal and you can "Show Package Contents" from the right-click menu. However, ChronoSync now sees it as a single file instead of a directory containing individual files. This means that the sync process now has to re-send the entire library blob (mine is 17GB, I'm sure others have even larger libraries) instead of just sending the new and changed image files. This makes syncing take much longer, and actually broke syncing entirely to my laptop because I don't have 17GB free for the temporary file to be stored while the transfer is in process.

I haven't tested with using rsync from Terminal, which might dodge the problem, but even if that works it would be a real shame to have to stop using ChronoSync. Hopefully Apple changes this back to the old behavior or perhaps the ChronoSync folks can come up with a way for ChronoSync to more elegantly handle the fake OS X package "files" when Syncing.

Anyone else have a good solution to this one?

 

[Mac In School]

Wow. This is a major pisser. I back-up using ChronoSync too.

 

[devman]

Go into Options and under Special File/Folder Handling tick Dissect Packages.

 

[Nugget]

Excellent, thanks devman! I knew I should have dug around in the preferences longer before taking the easy way out and just whinging about the problem on the Internet.

 

[Mac In School]

So what exactly does that do? I'm a noob, and don't have '08 installed yet. Does that permanently open it up, or is it just a way to look through stuff temporarily. If permanent, will iPhoto like it?

 

[aristobrat]

The new iPhoto '08 changed the way the photo library is stored on disk. Instead of a simple "iPhoto Library" folder in the Pictures folder, in iLife '08 Apple has decided to change it to an "iPhoto Library" package. Similar to the way an application package work, I suppose.

That's how they do the Aperture library too, IIRC -- one big file.

 

[Nugget]

So what exactly does that do?

it's a setting in ChronoSync that allows CS to ignore the packaging and continue to treat the library as just a plain old directory of files. Seems like exactly the solution needed.

 

[Mac In School]

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[bentley]

It's really annoying that I know have to right click and show package contents to get to my photo files now. Not a smart move Apple...

 

[mkaake]

It's really annoying that I know have to right click and show package contents to get to my photo files now. Not a smart move Apple...

I think Apple's point since the beginning with iPhoto is that you don't need to know the file structure iPhoto uses. You should open up iPhoto and have everything appear. And if you need a photo somewhere, locate it in iPhoto first, and drag it (or export it) to wherever you need.

It's all about the mentality of the computer just working, vs. the user trying to make the computer work.

Actually, that's the first thing most windows users comment on when I show them iPhoto - they're so stinking happy that they don't have to deal with folder structure anymore, or even see the folders...

 

[bentley]

I think Apple's point since the beginning with iPhoto is that you don't need to know the file structure iPhoto uses. You should open up iPhoto and have everything appear. And if you need a photo somewhere, locate it in iPhoto first, and drag it (or export it) to wherever you need.

It's all about the mentality of the computer just working, vs. the user trying to make the computer work.

Actually, that's the first thing most windows users comment on when I show them iPhoto - they're so stinking happy that they don't have to deal with folder structure anymore, or even see the folders...

I send folders of files to people all the time and I like just making an Archive of a photo of folders and emailing it. To have to export from iPhoto is annoying. I don't see why it needed changing...

 

[aristobrat]

I don't see why it needed changing...

Do a search on here and look at all of the people that have screwed up their iPhoto libraries by directly modifying the files within them. That'd probably be one reason why Apple didn't want people monkeying down in there.

 

[Mac In School]

I'm perfectly happy not knowing anything about the directory structure. If I wanted to deal with that stuff, I'd stick with Bridge and Photoshop.

I too often Email them to people, as well as upload them to my Zenfolio gallery. I create a folder on the desktop, then just drag them from iPhoto and drop them in that folder. Voila... Instant copies.

 

[left]

Where is this options? I see only preferences in iPhoto and in there, there isn't this Special File/Folder Handling.

 

[aristobrat]

Where is this options? I see only preferences in iPhoto and in there, there isn't this Special File/Folder Handling.

I think they're talking about the preferences in ChronoSync (that they're using to backup their iPhoto library with).

 

[left]

Oh. My bad, thanks.

 

[mattkc1]

Backup still weird

I followed the above instructions (with Chronosync) and did a sync to another machine, and it didn't read any of the events I created (split) on my machine -- when I opened the package after the sync -- those event "folders" are there, with the photos, but there were also copies of them in the old "unsplit" event folder. Something Apple needs to address...

 

[Applespider]

Do a search on here and look at all of the people that have screwed up their iPhoto libraries by directly modifying the files within them. That'd probably be one reason why Apple didn't want people monkeying down in there.

Precisely... I did quite like the last version which put them all neatly in photo rolls for you. Although it does mean that if you're writing a mail and want to attach an image, you're now to going to have to open iPhoto and drag it over rather than just navigate and attach it. Or more annoyingly if you're attaching it to a browser to upload somewhere...

If you spotlight for an image does it show you the original inside the package?

 

[Veil]

If you spotlight for an image does it show you the original inside the package?

Yep, it does, pops up in Preview or another viewer you use by default. Some offtopic rants:

I just found out, when I was looking where the bleep my photos went since the use of iPhoto '08 But I must say, I think it's a good thing. The structure always was kind of odd; and like aristobrat said, messing with it can only cause troubles. I like a clean directory structure. I don't want to see all the mess in the Library either, as long as it all does what it should do, fine with me.

Also, OSX is all about dragging & dropping. You can still locate the files by using "Show Package Contents", but just copy/pasting or dragging the photos to wherever you want works just as well Backing-up just one big file will be very useful for many users as well.

For the rest, I think iPhoto '08 is great. I never really used the previous version, for the simple reason that it was just like anything else. I just kept my images in some folders and arranged them myself. But with '08 I thought I'd give it a try. And no kidding, it just is super-easy! I imported my Photo directory, did some merging and splitting, and in no-time everything was done. Great app!

 

[MacDownunder]

Hmm seems Apple are at it again

Yep, it does, pops up in Preview or another viewer you use by default. Some offtopic rants:

I just found out, when I was looking where the bleep my photos went since the use of iPhoto '08 But I must say, I think it's a good thing. The structure always was kind of odd; and like aristobrat said, messing with it can only cause troubles. I like a clean directory structure. I don't want to see all the mess in the Library either, as long as it all does what it should do, fine with me.

Also, OSX is all about dragging & dropping. You can still locate the files by using "Show Package Contents", but just copy/pasting or dragging the photos to wherever you want works just as well Backing-up just one big file will be very useful for many users as well.

For the rest, I think iPhoto '08 is great. I never really used the previous version, for the simple reason that it was just like anything else. I just kept my images in some folders and arranged them myself. But with '08 I thought I'd give it a try. And no kidding, it just is super-easy! I imported my Photo directory, did some merging and splitting, and in no-time everything was done. Great app!

If you like a clean directory structure then envolk "Easy Access", sorry you might not know of OS9 (not classic either), perhaps you could even enable buttons as your icons as that would save double clicking. Look this isn't a flame, but my library runs to 30GB and at moment over 14,000 images (that is not a misprint - and others will have bigger libararies) and I only want to backup the data that has changed. There are many people out there that run a mixed machine environment, also now with different architectures that haven't got the time nor patience to wait for this "back up of 30GB" to occur over Airport.
There should at least be an option to store in either of the two ways that Apple have used in iPhoto06 and iPhoto08. Heck Apple even forced us to have enormous libraries again when iPhoto 05 became 06 as they changed the way Originals and Modified image libraries were structured.

With iPhoto 05 I had a very simple Automator script that allowed me to delete the unrotated originals an only keep the "fixed" and in some cases lightly colour corrected images that I have. Now unless I run iPhoto Diet then I have to keep all my pics and create yet more bloatware.

iWeb does a similar dumb thing where all websites are grouped in one application window.

I don't need the high end web dev tools, I don't need appeture I do however want some control over "MY" files and not be dictated to by a company that WAS about the user experience and tunability.

Enough STEVE give me control of my files if I want to - just wait til you see how they control us more with Leopard!!

 

[Poppa Bob]

Preferences

Pardon me for jumping in here but I'm a new convert. Bought my Macbook last weekend.

I wasn't to keen on the all inclusive "package" deal either. I went into preferences/advanced and UNticked the box "Copy items to the iPhoto Library".

My folder structure that I'm used to working with is retained (outside the Library package file) and the Library package itslef doesn't bloat. The originals folder in the package just has shortcuts (or is that alias now?) to the original files.

Maybe I'm missing the point...

 

[ViperDesign]

I think Apple's point since the beginning with iPhoto is that you don't need to know the file structure iPhoto uses. You should open up iPhoto and have everything appear. And if you need a photo somewhere, locate it in iPhoto first, and drag it (or export it) to wherever you need.

It's all about the mentality of the computer just working, vs. the user trying to make the computer work.

Actually, that's the first thing most windows users comment on when I show them iPhoto - they're so stinking happy that they don't have to deal with folder structure anymore, or even see the folders...

Yep that was what I was thinking when working with it after 20 years of a PC and around 4 years of Digital Cameras. Very smart if you ask me

 

[aristobrat]

Pardon me for jumping in here but I'm a new convert. Bought my Macbook last weekend.

I wasn't to keen on the all inclusive "package" deal either. I went into preferences/advanced and UNticked the box "Copy items to the iPhoto Library".

My folder structure that I'm used to working with is retained (outside the Library package file) and the Library package itslef doesn't bloat. The originals folder in the package just has shortcuts (or is that alias now?) to the original files.

Maybe I'm missing the point...

For folks that had been letting iPhoto manage their library for the last several years, their photos are already inside of the iPhoto "package" library.

It's not as simple for them to work around that as it is for someone starting new.

Your workaround is awesome for someone just starting out with iPhoto (and doesn't want to let iPhoto manage the folder structure) though!

 

[MacDownunder]

this is starting to get to the point

For folks that had been letting iPhoto manage their library for the last several years, their photos are already inside of the iPhoto "package" library.

It's not as simple for them to work around that as it is for someone starting new.

Your workaround is awesome for someone just starting out with iPhoto (and doesn't want to let iPhoto manage the folder structure) though!

This is my whole argument. I've come from pre OSX (for that matter system 6.x) and have been used to filing pics in folders and by event etc so I have a very well organised set of files. When iPhoto arrived it allowed me to maintain the status quo but put all pics in a nice application which allowed me to view, catalogue, email etc. With more recent versions of iPhoto the application got better. However with such a large library spanning back many years and 14K+ photos I do want a sense of control over my backups. I for example don't want every incremental backup to occupy 30GB just for iPhoto. Incremental by nature of definition only copies files that have changed, which should include the database files, xml files, recently added new pics, perhaps some modified pics, etc, etc. I am waiting on an external drive to arrive so I can experiment with iPhoto 08 and chronosync as a back up tool with the "look into package contents" item checked.

Heres something else to consider if when your "package" exceeds 4.7GB (or 8+ GB for DL DVD) how are you going to archive your photos with out the laborious show package contents then drag the files you want to new disc etc.

 

[ftaok]

Heres something else to consider if when your "package" exceeds 4.7GB (or 8+ GB for DL DVD) how are you going to archive your photos with out the laborious show package contents then drag the files you want to new disc etc.

If you have a back-up or DVD authoring application that supports "spanning", then there is no problem, except if you have a single file that exceeds the disc's capacity.

Apple's Backup application (must join .Mac) has the spanning feature. I believe that Toast 8 does as well.

ft