Title pretty much says it, Darktable is unable to delete and putting images in trash file initially. So I proceed with attempting to delete permanently but then I get an error message; invalid argument. As can be seen in the screendump I have included. I’m new to Darktable so I’m figuring I haven’t set it up properly. Maybe I need to authorize access or sum? Or is there something else going on, any help appreciated.
I’m much aware that I can solve this with workarounds but I’m very happy with Darktable so far and I do like to think this is user error on my part. Not very tech savvy tbh.
First off, you do realise that if you “import” images on an SD card, there will be no other copy of the image anywhere? (So if/when you re-use that SD card in your camera you will lose the images permanently)
Then, are the images still present on the card after you tried to move them to trash?
Just use remove, not delete. That will remove the entries from darktable’s database. You can then format your card or whatever. It need not even be inserted when you use remove.
Make sure you read and understand the import section of the user manual. Add to library in the import module only tells DT where the images are and leaves them on the SD card and doesn’t create a copy onto your computer. Copy and import is the option that will create a copy stored on your computer. Then and only then can you delete images from your SD card which I would do in the camera itself.
Yeah why, please explain why I would want to do that? What is the benefit?
Cus SDs are unreliable and the connection to a computer is a source of vulnerability? If thats the reason then nah, I will take that risk. If the reason is that SD-cards inherently prohibits the ability to use darktable to manage the images that are stored on the SD-card then yeah sure, but Id need to know if this is the case then, can you confirm that? Do you know why that is then?
No I want to delete the images permanently, I am not interested in removing darktables access to the images, that would do nothing in terms of actually managing the imagefiles. Im using darktable to sort which photos to get rid of.
And I was hoping to keep using darktable to then also proceed with actually getting rid of the images i.e. deleting them from the SD-card which currently is from where darktable is accessing them.
It seems like it should be doable since I can start the action through the UI only something is stopping darktable from actually finishing the action hence the error-message. So I was looking to correct that thinking that likely it is a permissions type problem where I havent granted darktable access to preform such actions and therefore the computer is not allowing darktable to do that when it tries upon my request.
Yes they are still on the SD since darktable failed to delete the images, that was my problem in the first place, My intent is to get rid of the images that I have sorted to decide which images are keepers and which ones I never want to see again.
I want the images gone from the source, off the face of the earth, not just away from darktable.
I’ve never heard of the workflow you’re proposing. If you copy all the images to your computer, then get them into darktable, then you can use dt to remove the ones you don’t want. And you can just format the whole SD card.
It does to me seem like an excessive amount of steps to import/copy thousands of images back and forth between storage points, it is taking a whole lot of time, both in waiting and in “labour”.
Are you saying you do not belive that it is possible for darktable to delete the images despite darktable seemingly being able to do any other form of “management” of the images, because they are being stored and accessed directly through an SD-card?
Are you saying that storing them on the computers local drive would change darktables ability to manage permanent deletion of the images? Do you know why that is in that case?
I’m sure its possible given the right conditions, but clearly you do not have those conditions, or else it would work. Again, the workflow you’re trying is uncommon. The extremely common workflow is to copy everything from the SD card to a local drive, then remove unwanted images. Darktable can generally delete/remove images, yes.
It certainly works that way for a lot of darktable users. I don’t know what would change for you, you haven’t really given us any details about your system, how you’re mounting your SD card, what the file permissions are, etc etc.
I have understood this, and I have done what I intended on doing
“. Add to library in the import module only tells DT where the images are and leaves them on the SD card and doesn’t create a copy onto your computer.”
This is exactly what I wanted.
I’m using darktable to access the images on the SD card and managing them, I am also requesting darktable to delete some of them, which it attempts but fails for which I can’t figure out the logical reason, except maybe SD-cards in general (or perhaps this one inparticular?) being incompatible with these types of actions. However I dont find that to make any sense since the native filemanager seemingly has this ability, and the UI for such actions are there in darktable so I figured something else was causing the problem.
“, you haven’t really given us any details about your system, how you’re mounting your SD card, what the file permissions are, etc etc.”
yeah this is more like something I suspected could be causing problems, I really don’t know what to look for here so this is what I’m asking for.
Are there file permissions and such that darktable requires to operate properly that I might have missed out on turning on?
The SD card is mounted directly into a built in reader in the computer cage, Is there anything here that I should know about that could be causing problems?
“I’m sure its possible given the right conditions”
I does seem to me that you believe I am not being unreasonable in believing that what Im attempting should be doable?
Im trying bud but I don’t know what details you are looking for? The colour of the SD-card? Im really not super tech savvy so I don’t know what is relevant, obv all the information I have already given isn’t enough so what more can I provide? You gotta help me help you help me here…
Starting this discussion and all my answers are my attempts at providing you with what information I have that I believe to be relevant…