How do I import files to a photo manager without copying them?

[Eliot Blennerhassett]

I'm looking for Photo Manager software that doesn't insist on copy files
when you 'import' to it. I have several GB of photos in a location on my
filesystem that I would like to manage (ie create metadata about the
photos). All the photo managers that I have looked at seem to copy or move
the files on import, something that I don't want to happen.
From Shotwell 0.10.1 manual

"Importing from your hard disk. To import photo files from your hard
disk into Shotwell, just drag them from your file browser into the
Shotwell window.
Alternatively, click File ▸ Import From Folder and select the folder
containing the photos you want to import.
Shotwell will ask whether you want to copy the photo files to your
library folder (usually this is the Pictures folder in your home
directory) or to import them in place without copying the files."

From F-Spot 0.6.1.5 manual

" By default, F-Spot will make a copy of photos imported from your
hard drive. Uncheck the Copy option on the import dialog or hold Shift
when dragging photos into F-Spot if you do not wish to copy them from
your hard drive."

AFAIK F-spot (which requires Mono) has been replaced by shotwell in
the more recent Ubuntu releases.

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[Cliff Pratt]

Post by Eliot Blennerhassett

I'm looking for Photo Manager software that doesn't insist on copy files
when you 'import' to it. I have several GB of photos in a location on my
filesystem that I would like to manage (ie create metadata about the
photos). All the photo managers that I have looked at seem to copy or move
the files on import, something that I don't want to happen.
From Shotwell 0.10.1 manual

"Importing from your hard disk. To import photo files from your hard
disk into Shotwell, just drag them from your file browser into the
Shotwell window.
Alternatively, click File ▸ Import From Folder and select the folder
containing the photos you want to import.
Shotwell will ask whether you want to copy the photo files to your
library folder (usually this is the Pictures folder in your home
directory) or to import them in place without copying the files."

From F-Spot 0.6.1.5 manual

" By default, F-Spot will make a copy of photos imported from your
hard drive. Uncheck the Copy option on the import dialog or hold Shift
when dragging photos into F-Spot if you do not wish to copy them from
your hard drive."
AFAIK F-spot (which requires Mono) has been replaced by shotwell in
the more recent Ubuntu releases.

Hmm, I couldn't find that in the F-Spot Help and the 'manual' seems to
be just a web version of the Help.

I tried importing the pictures using Shotwell, but it thinks the link to
my pictures on the server is a file! Oh well, I'll persevere.

Cheers,

Cliff

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[Simon Bridge]

Post by Cliff Pratt

Post by Eliot Blennerhassett

From F-Spot 0.6.1.5 manual

" By default, F-Spot will make a copy of photos imported from your
hard drive. Uncheck the Copy option on the import dialog or hold Shift
when dragging photos into F-Spot if you do not wish to copy them from
your hard drive."

Hmm, I couldn't find that in the F-Spot Help and the 'manual' seems to
be just a web version of the Help.
I tried importing the pictures using Shotwell, but it thinks the link to
my pictures on the server is a file! Oh well, I'll persevere.

You want to locally index the files on a remote server, without
importing them to you local HDD?

in F-Spot - are you sure you are looking in the correct place?
The "import dialog" is accessed from the green + sign in the toolbar.
It says "import source - select folder", then some spaces for thumbs
etc. Under that there are three check-boxes. The second one is the one
you want to uncheck. You probably want to include subfolders (checked by
default) for a link to a directory to be treated as a directory(?)

AFAIK: most photo-management software has some sort of option like this,
you just have to find it.


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