How to sync Photo libraries on external drives - with each other - not with mac?

[Frznrth]

Hi
I've just finished backing up my photos to several different external hard drives - I have three different externals - Ok so a bit over the top but I once had two external drives fry on the same day - making sure that day doesn't happen again - bad day. They are also on my Mac but not in full res as I also use icloud and don't have enough memory on my mac for the originals.

When I make changes to the photos how can I easily sync those changes from one external drive to another?

Also - If I make changes to the photos on the mac - lets say edit out a bunch - do I need to make those same changes to the external by hand? If I just save the changed photos to the external won't I be saving the low resolution versions?

Thanks for the help

 

[MacUser2525]

When I make changes to the photos how can I easily sync those changes from one external drive to another?

Carbon Copy Cloner if you own it will sync up exact copies of the drives or rsync the command line utility it uses will do the same, DropSync will do it also using same rsync program underlying it idea. And you are not over the top I have three machines that backup all my data each having full copy of all my media on their various drives contained in them.

 

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I'd give a vote for rsync as well but with the understanding that you're essentially making a copy of the one large Photos library file instead of syncing individual photos that have changed. Still, that would be sufficient because you just run the terminal command and let the computer do the work.

 

[MacUser2525]

you're essentially making a copy of the one large Photos library file instead of syncing individual photos that have changed.

Perhaps you worded that incorrectly with rsync it will only copy over the changes made in that large library file to make it identical, if that is what the OP means not the individual files contained in it. If no changes then no copying if changes the only the parts needed to be copied to make it identical will be done.

 

[Frznrth]

Thanks. I'll check them out to do the syncs.

Am I right that if I make a bunch of changes to Photos on the mac that I can't just sync these to the backups as I'll be saving low res files. - i need to make these same changes by hand on the full resolution version on the externals?? PITA if so. Give up the version on the mac and just use the externals?

Thanks again.

 

[MacUser2525]

i need to make these same changes by hand on the full resolution version on the externals??

Only the files on the external drives being synced will be updated any changes to the low res files you make on local machine will not be copied.

 

[Frznrth]

Only the files on the external drives being synced will be updated any changes to the low res files you make on local machine will not be copied.

But I want the changes on the low res files to sync. I just want them in high res on the externals. If I make low res changes then tell it to sync to the external it would change all the high res files to low res? I don't want to have to make the changes twice.
Thanks.

 

[MacUser2525]

But I want the changes on the low res files to sync. I just want them in high res on the externals. If I make low res changes then tell it to sync to the external it would change all the high res files to low res? I don't want to have to make the changes twice.
Thanks.

Well for what you want to do then you need two copies on the external the high res and the low res. Just keep them in separate directories one for each type and sync each of them directories with each others version of them on external. You can keep all high res on the externals and keep then in sync with each other then have directory for low res that you sync from the local machine directory to the externals directories for that.

Edit: To answer the question if the files are named identically high vs. low res on the machine/externals then if you sync the low res identically named files with an external that has high res then you end up with all low res.

 

[Frznrth]

Well for what you want to do then you need two copies on the external the high res and the low res. Just keep them in separate directories one for each type and sync each of them directories with each others version of them on external. You can keep all high res on the externals and keep then in sync with each other then have directory for low res that you sync from the local machine directory to the externals directories for that.

Edit: To answer the question if the files are named identically high vs. low res on the machine/externals then if you sync the low res identically named files with an external that has high res then you end up with all low res.

Thanks. - so it sounds like I need to keep low and high res separate. If I want to keep both I need to edit each separately and sinc separately - doesn't seem to be worth the trouble. Any issues with keeping the photo library only on my external drives? Does the photos app and I-cloud work just as well with externals as on my old iMac?

 

[MacUser2525]

Does the photos app and I-cloud work just as well with externals as on my old iMac?

No clue do not use them. The library not sure if you mean backing it up then none I can see for use with the apps already answered.

 

[Frznrth]

No clue do not use them. The library not sure if you mean backing it up then none I can see for use with the apps already answered.

Pardon me? Thanks for the help but I'm not sure what your warning me of.

 

[MacUser2525]

Pardon me? Thanks for the help but I'm not sure what your warning me of.

No warning I was just not sure of the question. To be clearer syncing the existing library to an external drive should be no problem. If you were asking if you can use the library from there with program I have no clue as I have never used the program let alone tried to do that with it.

 

[Frznrth]

No warning I was just not sure of the question. To be clearer syncing the existing library to an external drive should be no problem. If you were asking if you can use the library from there with program I have no clue as I have never used the program let alone tried to do that with it.

No warning I was just not sure of the question. To be clearer syncing the existing library to an external drive should be no problem. If you were asking if you can use the library from there with program I have no clue as I have never used the program let alone tried to do that with it.

Thanks
I haven't read about any issues with having your main photos library on an external - thought it couldn't hurt to ask though - ya never know.

 

[MacUser2525]

Thanks

Your welcome.

 

[Zazoh]

Thanks
I haven't read about any issues with having your main photos library on an external - thought it couldn't hurt to ask though - ya never know.

When the SSD drives came out most were small. 128gb many switched to external drives for iTunes and Photos.

I sync using RSYNC. Have a few scripts I can activate with one word. Here's a great article to check out.

http://www.haykranen.nl/2008/05/05/rsync/


Also if you have one big library I recommend breaking it up. It's easy to start Photos while holding the option key, then you can select a library if you have many.