Migrate from temporary configdir / db to DT 5.4

Software darktable
1

My distro base version of DT is 5.2 for which I have my main db and configdir. I have been using a number of DT 5.3 versions (and a single 5.4) over the last few months as appimages with their own configdir and db. Edits have been made on duplicated images and sidecar files written in the relevant directories for many images but that info is not in the main base db (Only in the sidecar files and the temporary db). Once my distro base version updates to 5.4 is there a way by which I can force the new (base 5.4) version that will use my main db etc to be aware of those edits and duplicate images that were made with the 5.3 appimages?

SOLVED
Tell the new version of DT to scan for new XMPs at startup then restart it. Wait while it does it. Accept all or select by choice all potentially new found xmp images. I chose select all and accept latest edit date. Wait while DT updates it stuff in the background. All sorted.

2

I’d personally ensure all edits are written to XMP and simply import the duplicate photos into your main version.

3

My concern is that the “Duplicates” only exist within DR, for each there is only one raw file on disc. Two sidecar files - one from DT 5.2 (With corresponding data in the main db) and one from DT-5.3 appimages/ with a sidecar on disc and in the db in the tmp_configdir. I fear that if I reimport whole folders I may end up with multiple instances of the same "DT-images).

5

Only a very small subset of images are in the db that resides in the 5.3/ 5.4 db and configdir. The main db has my entire collection. The db in the tmp_config dir only includes those folders that I imported into the testing versions. I would not wish to risk losing the bulk of my db yet at the same time whish to try and preserved the edits made with the the testing versoins.