With DT 5.0 I notice the date/time modified for XMP files is being updated simply by going from lightable to darktable and back to lightable with no changes. I’m pretty sure it didn’t do that in 4.8. Does anyone know, is this intended? I found it quite useful to look at my files and see the XMP and JPG had the same date/time, and therefore the XMP is still what generated the JPG.
This is with Ubuntu 22.04 and appimage 5.0.0
did you actually verify that the file content hasnt changed?
No, but checking just now, the size has gone up by 376 bytes. But I’m still curious to know why!
The xmp holds more than just the edits.
I check my xmps into git. When you open a file in darkroom, some metadata is rewritten.
Ok, though it’s new in 5.0.
If you do those steps on the same image, multiple times, does it update the xmp each time?
I don’t think so.
@RawConvert what is your setting here in preferences (the last line in the screen grab below)?
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hi, same as you -
I tried changing from after edit to on import; quit DT; re-started; still updating date/time though.
I’ve tried to be careful. Went back to 4.8 appimage by deleting darktable folders from .var and .config, (think I forgot .cache), ran 4.8, fresh system, tested, no change to date/time.
Yes. My file manager only showing down to minutes, but tried over 3 minutes and updated date/time each time. Also whereas file length increased on one occasion, it can also stay same length. Haven’t gone into file contents, I don’t know how to do that and not massively keen to get too deep into this though it would be nice to get to the bottom of it.
I think you should do an issue. If you can, provide the xmp before and after each access to the darkroom. Most likely the pipe is being recalculated. Do you have auto presets?
Ok I’ll do an issue. I’ve never tried auto presets, so unless I’ve accidentally got one, this shouldn’t be the cause, and if I have somehow got one, it was almost certainly in 4.8 just before going to 5.0.
It’s interesting you mention the pipe - I put in a feature request about pipe efficiency yesterday, Can the pipe be more optimized for more speed? · Issue #18133 · darktable-org/darktable · GitHub
Auto orders are only applied to pristine images (the first time an image is opened in the darkroom).
For me it doesn’t happen every single time. But 5.0 does have a new module order.
What’s changer in your xmp files?
I opened a file I had edited in 4.8 but not yet in 5.0. No changes made in any darkroom module, just open, then back to lighttable.
I see the following changes:
- a new XML name space for Lightroom, schema version 1.0
- new tags (dcsubject, rdf:bag, and lr:heirarchialsSubject) for darktable’s own “change” tags
If you open the same image again in darkroom, does it do more edits?
For me, no. The fresh XMP write from a 4.8 → 5.0 seems to update the XMP file for the 5.0 schema. This is inline with what I’ve seen with versions in the past.
I’ve been checking my XMPs into git for like six or seven years 
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So not really an issue in my opinion.
If @RawConvert’s diff is similar, I’d say not an issue. But if he feels it is, then he should open an issue on github.
Bug report here - XMP files updated despite no change · Issue #18138 · darktable-org/darktable · GitHub
what does the diff of your xmp look like?