How work with an External HDD and Multiple Computers with Darktable (Windows 10)?

[saiko]

I have just started using Darktable for Windows and really loving it!

I keep my original photos in External HDDs and I would like to move the Darktable database/library to external HDD so that I can open my photo-edits in another system (also Windows). This would also help me to move the database from my relatively small SSD drive C which has limited space.
Is it possible to do?

I have been searching for the answer since the Windows version is released but unable to find anything on it… would really appreciate any help.

[patdavid]

There was a topic about this a little while back - perhaps it can help answer your question?

Location darktable library

Is there a way to locate the DT library on an external drive for example ? Thanks.

The relevant bits:

Location darktable library

Yes, you can launch darktable from the CLI: darktable --library <library file> See the user’s guide for more detail. There are several switches. If you want to put this in your menu, make a .desktop file and place it in the appropriate location in ~/.configfor your desktop environment.

Location darktable library

Or just edit the database key in the config file ~/.config/darktable/darktablerc. For an overview over all the settings in there you should have a look at share/doc/darktable/darktablerc.html in your dt installation.

[esteel]

I keep my photos and DT on an external HDD and use the --cachedir AND --configdir to run DT directly from that HD and have it just work no matter which pc i use.
like: darktable.exe --cachedir “e:\software\dt_files\cache” --configdir “e:\software\dt_files\cache”

[saiko]

@ esteel
Thank you! This might be the solution for me.
Are you running Window or Linux?

@ patdavid Thank you for the links.
I wish DT made it easier to manage the Library file…

[esteel]

mostly windows… see the .exe file-extension and path style with backslashes