AIO64-6.0.1–1 on Windows 10.
I cannot understand the instructions in the Manual.
I have two drives in my PC (C for systems files, and D for personal files). I keep all my media (mostly photos or PDFs) in different folders in D:\Files\Genealogy.
Is that the media base folder even though I have subfolders (People, docs, tombstones, etc.)? Would that be an absolute or relative path?
I would like to use gramps in another PC that only has one drive (C:). I’ve tried to fake a D: drive but unsuccessfully. I’m not too much tech savvy. I would like to keep my media files organized and easy to back up.
Thank you for your help.
marcela
I have something similar. I have all my genealogy in E:\Genealogy. All of my media files are in the subfolder E:\Genealogy\Media which has many subfolders to store the various files by type… birth, death, marriage, military, etc. The Base Media Path is E:\Genealogy\Media. With the Convert to a relative path option selected, only the subfolders and file name are stored in its record path field.
Birth\file name.jpg
Marriage\groom & bride.jpg
An absolute path will store the full path information.
Using the relative path, all you would need to do is move the media folder to a new computer and set the base media path in Preferences so Gramps can find the databases media files.
There’s an additional level of complexity suggested by the original question.
If @Marcela is moving Gramps from one machine to another (as when replacing one’s computer), this solution above is viable.
If the intent is to move back and forth between computers editting the same shared tree (such as a desktop and a laptop), that is a whole different level of preparation and method of working.
It is doable and not beyond reach. But it does require a bit more coordination.
There is the Media Manager tool that will convert the media records to all relative or absolute paths. Obviously, the Base Media path must first be set in Preferences.
The issue you need to understand, the Base Media Path set in Preferences is stored with the database. This allows a user to setup different media folders for different databases/trees.
You will be using the same database on two different machines but not the same hard drive configuration and where the media files will be stored. Computer1 the media will be on D:\Files\Genealogy while on computer2, the best scenario would be C:\Files\Genealogy. After any transfer of the database between machines, the Base Media Path in Preferences would need to be updated to reflect the computer’s hard drive.
Let me throw this out to the group…
Could a system variable be set, similar to GRAMPSHOME, say GRAMPSMEDIA, where the GRAMPSMEDIA would be a hard coded path to the base media path unique to the computer. The BMP in preferences would point to GRAMPSMEDIA. This way for whichever computer, the database would look to the computer’s GRAMPSMEDIA setting.
The easiest way to do this on Windows OS computers is by using the PortableApps version of Gramps installed on the best quality USB flash drive that you can afford and which is compatible with both machines.
Both the Gramps Tree and the media can be stored on the USB device.
You just move the USB drive to the machine where you want to run Gramps. (I carry a copy of GrampsPortable installed to a thumbdrive on my housekeys ring.)
Since Gramps is storage intensive, you’ll want to check the specifications for your computers and use the highest rated USB port on the machine. This will give better performance.
Set the automatic backup to run regularly too. Set it to make a backup (without media) upon exit of Gramps. Make your backup to each machine WITH media at least once a month, alternating between machine. (One could be your “odd” month, the other is your “even”.)
The other alternative is more complex. It uses your home network with a shared drive on the machine with 2 drives. It always has to be running so that the files can be accessed from either system. You have to learn how to map a network drive so the drive letters and file paths are identical on both machines. Gramps will run faster on the machine with the shared drive.
A third alternative is synchronizing Trees stored on different machines. This is a recipe for disaster unless you are a very, very meticulous computer user.
For a user with limited technical skills, the PortableApps solution is far easier but tends to be slower.
For a non tech savvy person there’s no simple way to share the Gramps database between two PCs. To do so requires careful file management.
Given that and as you are going to move to just the Win 11 device in the near future, I suggest you move over to Win 11 now and not try to work on two devices.
If you do want a half way house option then I suggest you consider this approach:
Decide which PC will hold your ‘master’ version of your Gramps tree.
Ensure you only ever add to / edit your tree that device.
You can then ‘mirror’ that master copy to your other PC by exporting your tree as a ‘Gramps XML package (family tree and media)’ to a USB stick.
Import that package into an empty tree in Gramps on your other PC.
When you export as a ‘Gramps XML package (family tree and media)’ it does what the name says, you get a single file that contains all your tree and all your media. When you import that package into a new, empty, tree the media will end up in a folder structure under one root folder in the default media folder. The folder will be called ‘[treeName].gpkg.media’. It will work ‘as is’, no changes required to any paths.
When you next want to mirror your master copy to your other device you first need to tidy up and remove the existing mirror copy before you import a new version. Use Windows File Explorer and browse to the folder holding your media and delete the ‘[treeName].gpkg.media’ root media folder. Having done that, open Gramps and remove the mirror copy of your tree and then create a new, empty, tree, ready for the import of a new export from your master tree.
