iPhoto/iTunes collections on NAS drive?

[mekondelta]

Hi,

I've not found these questions answered satisfactorily anywhere on the web.

Basic question, can I run iTunes/iPhoto using my collections stored on a network drive? The network drive is a Slug running Debian and exposing a 500GB hard disk using Samba (although I suppose I could use AppleTalk if I could figure this out!).

I think the answer is no but can't find anything definitive on this. I used to use Windows XP and used MediaMonkey and Picasa for songs and photos respectively. It worked but performance wasn't great. I can't work out whether I can even get this same setup using iTunes/iPhoto (or even Adobe Elements).

If anyone has tried this then it would be great to hear your thoughts.

 

[tersono]

Simple answer: Yes.

It does get easier if the NAS is Mac-friendly though, as you can run into problems with truncated file names. However, our iPhoto library at work is on a network share. Simply copy the library onto your network share and start iPhoto with the alt/option key held down. It will ask you for the path to the library. Bingo.

With itunes, the simplest solution is to copy the whole library onto your remote share, then make an alias of the remote iTunes folder and put it in your user directory/music. I use this system at home (albeit the host is an old G4 server running Tiger) and it works well - albeit it can take a while to load if you have a large library.

 

[crees!]

@tersono
How do you work it so the majority of your music is on the networked drive but then you also have some residing locally? For instance, if you have a laptop you take on the road often. Instead of an alias, if you link to that folder in iTunes settings and it can't find it, does it default to its normal location?

 

[mheidt]

I have a Synology DS207+ and a TimeCapsule.
I played around putting the iTunes and iPhoto files onto both.
TimeCapsule responds faster.
But in both cases, it happens, that iTunes doesn't find the remote directory when you import a CD, so that it creates a new local iTunes Folder to put the AAC in. Very annoying.
Now I'm using an external Harddrive again for my 40GB mac mini being the Mediacenter...and waiting desperately for a new mac mini that ships with more than 250GB...

For managing several iPhoto-Folders I'm using iPhotoBuddy. I create a new folder for every year.
I keep the current year on the TimeCapsule and the elder years on the Synology.

I have a GB-Ethernet and 811.n WLAN.

So, yes it's possible but slower.

 

[mekondelta]

Simple answer: Yes.

It does get easier if the NAS is Mac-friendly though, as you can run into problems with truncated file names. However, our iPhoto library at work is on a network share. Simply copy the library onto your network share and start iPhoto with the alt/option key held down. It will ask you for the path to the library. Bingo.

With itunes, the simplest solution is to copy the whole library onto your remote share, then make an alias of the remote iTunes folder and put it in your user directory/music. I use this system at home (albeit the host is an old G4 server running Tiger) and it works well - albeit it can take a while to load if you have a large library.

Thanks. That's what I was looking for!