SOLVED: Darktable Sidecar file import failure / unwanted overwrite

Woombers · December 31, 2020, 8:58am

Hello all

Big fan of Darktable and have been using it on Ubuntu for a little while. I think that I might have a bug with loading existing sidecars and would be curious if anyone here has an idea how I might solve it.

Just had a vacation where I was processing a folder of images in Windows on a different PC. Now back I want to continue processing the images on my home Ubuntu but I’m having some issues as the sidecar files are being overwritten on import and all the history stack is basically lost.

I’ve tried simply copying the contents of the folder including images and sidecars from Windows to Ubuntu. I’ve tried using the “Load sidecar file” option from the lighttable history stack module to update a single image.
I’ve looked in the settings and activated and deactivated “look for updated xmp files on startup”.
I’ve compared the xmps and can see that the format is somewhat different but have no idea where to start in terms of troubleshooting the issue.

Is there an option I’m missing which automatically creates a sidecar to replace an existing one? (I would want it deactivated) I’ve looked in darktable and on google but can’t seem to find anything on this topic.
Or am I somehow applying a preset without realising it?

Any help much appreciated!

Examples of files below

Here is a sidecar from my editing in Windows. As you can see, it contains the history stack:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="XMP Core 4.4.0-Exiv2">
 <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
  <rdf:Description rdf:about=""
    xmlns:exif="http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/"
    xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/"
    xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/"
    xmlns:darktable="http://darktable.sf.net/"
   exif:DateTimeOriginal="2020:12:20 17:12:39"
   xmp:Rating="4"
   xmpMM:DerivedFrom="DSCF0002.JPG"
   darktable:import_timestamp="1608663119"
   darktable:change_timestamp="1608931105"
   darktable:export_timestamp="-1"
   darktable:print_timestamp="-1"
   darktable:xmp_version="4"
   darktable:raw_params="0"
   darktable:auto_presets_applied="1"
   darktable:history_end="8"
   darktable:iop_order_version="1"
   darktable:history_basic_hash="c77b02b0b35a7822a4d7fde689a13f7e"
   darktable:history_current_hash="69a8b88448775adc3a41733a84d6cae1">
   <darktable:masks_history>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:masks_history>
   <darktable:history>
    <rdf:Seq>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="0"
      darktable:operation="colorin"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="6"
      darktable:params="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"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="1"
      darktable:operation="colorout"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="gz35eJxjZBgFo4CBAQAEEAAC"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="2"
      darktable:operation="gamma"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="1"
      darktable:params="0000000000000000"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="3"
      darktable:operation="flip"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="2"
      darktable:params="ffffffff"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="4"
      darktable:operation="clipping"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="0000000000000000000000000000803f0000803f0000000000000000cdcc4c3ecdcc4c3ecdcc4c3fcdcc4c3ecdcc4c3fcdcc4c3fcdcc4c3ecdcc4c3f000000000000000000000000010000000000000001000000"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="5"
      darktable:operation="shadhi"
      darktable:enabled="0"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="000000000000c8420000484200000000000048c200000000000048420000c842000048427f000000bd37863500000000"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="6"
      darktable:operation="clipping"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="000000006083cd3d702f9f3d89b7653f0bed5f3f0000000000000000cdcc4c3ecdcc4c3ecdcc4c3fcdcc4c3ecdcc4c3fcdcc4c3fcdcc4c3ecdcc4c3f000000000000000000000000010000000000000001000000"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="7"
      darktable:operation="shadhi"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="000000000000c84210aeef4100000000000048c200000000000048420000c842000048427f000000bd37863500000000"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="8"
      darktable:operation="vibrance"
      darktable:enabled="0"
      darktable:modversion="2"
      darktable:params="0000c841"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="9"
      darktable:operation="tonecurve"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="gz14eJxjYICBBnsIHrTAHoIHrTsHpfuYgJgZipmQMDNUnhHKBgAHswWM"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="10"
      darktable:operation="colorbalance"
      darktable:enabled="1"
      darktable:modversion="3"
      darktable:params="010000000000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f0000803f000090410000803f"
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
     <rdf:li
      darktable:num="11"
      darktable:operation="colorzones"
      darktable:enabled="0"
      darktable:modversion="5"
      darktable:params="gz07eJxjYoADe1VPITsIPQlMb8+9DeUL2YPovNtm9hDxaDDNwNBgH9PfZMdAHwB2X1raMztS3MfAYGBPT/edPcNDUvhBaNoCdiTMiIRhAMQGAF1fJo8="
      darktable:multi_name=""
      darktable:multi_priority="0"
      darktable:blendop_version="9"
      darktable:blendop_params="gz11eJxjYGBgkGAAgRNODGiAEV0AJ2iwh+CRyscOAAdeGQQ="/>
    </rdf:Seq>
   </darktable:history>
  </rdf:Description>
 </rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

After I import the image into my Ubuntu Darktable, this is the sidecar file which overwrites the original. As you can see, the history stack has been deleted.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<x:xmpmeta xmlns:x="adobe:ns:meta/" x:xmptk="XMP Core 4.4.0-Exiv2">
 <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#">
  <rdf:Description rdf:about=""
    xmlns:darktable="http://darktable.sf.net/"
    xmlns:exif="http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/"
    xmlns:xmp="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/"
    xmlns:xmpMM="http://ns.adobe.com/xap/1.0/mm/"
   darktable:change_timestamp="1608931105"
   darktable:export_timestamp="-1"
   darktable:import_timestamp="1608663119"
   darktable:iop_order_version="1"
   darktable:print_timestamp="-1"
   darktable:xmp_version="2"
   darktable:raw_params="0"
   darktable:auto_presets_applied="1"
   darktable:history_end="0"
   exif:DateTimeOriginal="2020:12:20 17:12:39"
   xmp:Rating="4"
   xmpMM:DerivedFrom="DSCF0002.JPG">
   <darktable:mask_id>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask_id>
   <darktable:mask_type>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask_type>
   <darktable:mask_name>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask_name>
   <darktable:mask_version>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask_version>
   <darktable:mask>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask>
   <darktable:mask_nb>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask_nb>
   <darktable:mask_src>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:mask_src>
   <darktable:history>
    <rdf:Seq/>
   </darktable:history>
  </rdf:Description>
 </rdf:RDF>
</x:xmpmeta>

paperdigits · December 31, 2020, 9:55am

Are you running the same version of darktable on both systems? Your windows xmp file uses version 4 of darktable’s xmp, while the Ubuntu xmp version is at 2.

Woombers · December 31, 2020, 1:49pm

You are correct. Windows was on v3.2.1 and Ubuntu on v2.4.2.

I’ve updated the Ubuntu version to the newest (3.4) and the files can now be read. Many thanks!