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Bug 331953 - Global configuration file /etc/f-spot
Global configuration file /etc/f-spot
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX
Product: f-spot
Classification: Other
Component: General
CVS
Other All
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: F-spot maintainers
F-spot maintainers
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2006-02-20 23:31 UTC by Bengt Thuree
Modified: 2006-09-17 23:22 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Attachments
first draft of patch to enable a global configuration file (9.46 KB, patch)
2006-03-02 10:34 UTC, Bengt Thuree
none Details | Review

Description Bengt Thuree 2006-02-20 23:31:52 UTC
Would be nice if there is a /etc/f-spot or something, which will inform f-spot
which database and Photo directory should be used.

Different computers and/or users should have an easy way to access same f-spot
database/photos.

Suggested configurations to have in /etc/f-spot
* Path to sqlite database
* Path to Photos library
* Path to Preferences
* Restricted usage (browse mode only)
* etc...

Use case:
John have a file server where everything is stored, and he has 2 different
computer. His wife has one laptop from where she loves looking at the photos and
tagging them. He would like to have access to the same F-Spot database/photo
from all computers. His child loves looking at the pictures from her own computer.
Comment 1 Bengt Thuree 2006-02-21 10:07:32 UTC
This could also very easily enable F-Spot to handle different Photo Albums.
For instance
* Businiess and Privat
* Testing and Real
Comment 2 Bengt Thuree 2006-03-02 10:34:25 UTC
Created attachment 60475 [details] [review]
first draft of patch to enable a global configuration file

This is the first draft of a patch to enable a global configuration file.

cat /etc/f-spot.conf 
---------------
# Define the Home directory of F-Spot, by default the user's home directory
# Default it will be $HOME
# example HOME = /Pictures
#HOME = /home/test-user
HOME = /home/f-spot

# Define the base directory for the sqlite database file
# Default it will be <HOME>/.gnome2/f-spot
# example BASEDIRE = /Pictures/SQLite
#BASEDIR = /home/test-user/.gnome2/f-spot
BASEDIR = /home/f-spot/sqlite

# Define the sqlite database
# default it will be photos.db
# example SQLITEDB = photos.db
SQLITEDB = photos.db

# Define the directory where all photos will be copied to by default
# default it will be ~/Photos
# example PHOTODIR = /Pictures
PHOTODIR = /home/f-spot/Photos

# chmod
# CHMOD = 0777
CHMOD = 0774
Comment 3 Bengt Thuree 2006-05-14 11:05:36 UTC
Similar bug in #323966
Comment 4 Bengt Thuree 2006-05-15 15:43:18 UTC
Any comments on this one?

How will F-Spot behave in a multiuser environment?
For instance on a file server, with wife and husbad who uses the same database and photo directory.
Comment 5 John Stowers 2006-06-09 05:15:47 UTC
Is Gconf not a better (and more GNOME-ey) way of doing this?
Comment 6 Bengt Thuree 2006-06-09 06:24:56 UTC
Could be, but still only single user.
With a global configuration file, multiple users of F-Spot would have the same configuration file.
You could have this file with the photos, and use a command line parameter to indicate which configuration file you would like to use.

Or how should the problem with multiple users work?
Especially since F-Spot do embedd the tags inside the photos, which means the different users of F-Spot has to use the same database.
Comment 7 Stephane Delcroix 2006-06-09 07:23:48 UTC
I don't like that way of doing it.

F-Spot is a *desktop* application, normal users should be able to modify their configuration without being root and without any changes to other users configuration.

I prefer the GConf way, definitely
Comment 8 Bengt Thuree 2006-06-09 07:48:01 UTC
I tend to agree with you, but how about the following scenarios
1) You and your wife share the same computer, but use different accounts (as you should)
2) You and your wife have two different computers connected to the same network and mounting the homedirectory (plus other common directories) from a fileserver.
3) You do not want your kids to be able to modify anything, but only browse...
Comment 9 Ruben Vermeersch 2006-06-09 08:16:37 UTC
GConf allows enforcing mandatory keys as wel as defaults. This is GNOME, let's use the technology we have. Adding another file in /etc/ (which IMHO must die) means programs like sabayon have to add yet another exception in order to support this. With GConf, we get all of this for free + we can have networked configs.

All of the examples you mentioned can be handled with GConf perfectly. Go check it out, it has more power than you think.
Comment 10 Ian Dall 2006-06-13 05:11:18 UTC
I don't have a problem with GConf, so long as users (non-administrators) don't have to use gconf-editor. I think selecting "Albums" needs to be something easilly done at run time from the "File" menu say File->Open and maybe also a File->New to create new albums. A File->Recent entry could allow selection from recently visited albums. I'd say each album should correspond to a database and each album should have its own idea of where its photo collection is (which can be common or not). I can see a use for albums being able to aggregate photos from multiple photo collections, but that would be more icing on the cake.

I'd let the file system govern accesses to to the database files and to the photo collection, but it would be good to provide a way to change permissions and umask from the UI.
Comment 11 Bengt Thuree 2006-06-13 05:36:18 UTC
I definitely agree with comment #10. Why restrict our self to one photo album now, especially when some photographers (users) want to keep their private collection separate from their businiess one. etc.

Regarding keeping the photo database together with the photos, please see bug #323966
Comment 12 Bengt Thuree 2006-09-17 23:22:30 UTC
Ok, I am closing this one since we now have the command line options for how to launch f-spot