Upgrading iLife without losing files

[tatiang]

I learned the hard way that my iLife '09 package replaces the iPhoto Library
folder and therefore deletes all of the existing photos.
In thinking about how to upgrade a computer from iLife '06 to iLife '09, the
best idea I have is to remove the user-specific folders (e.g. iTunes
Library, iPhoto Library, etc.) from the package after I create it, and then
to create a script that checks for those existing folders and adds them only
is they don't exist.

How do you upgrade iLife without losing files?

Tatian

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Tatian Greenleaf
Associate Director of Technology
Saint Mark's School
(415) 472-8000 x1014

[tlarkin]

Wow, it really over writes the existing folder? That is not good. I am about to roll out iLife 09. I guess with out looking at it a simple script that will copy the database to a temp area, then copy it back after the package is installed...

Oh wait, now that I re-read your email....that is because iPhoto 06 did not use the database. Instead it used folders, since iPhoto is actually a database of photos it needs to be in one database file. Otherwise there were problems with it. I believe Apple shifted it from the folder level to an actual database in iLife 08.

I think you could apple script iPhoto to export the library to a file, then install the new package, then import the old file once done. Users with very large iPhoto data may cause issues.

So, I would look into automator or apple script to tell iPhoto to export all photos to a back up file, then have casper install the package, and as post install have an apple script or automator process import those files back in.

[tatiang]

Well, part of the issue was that I ran out of hard drive space during the
imaging process, so I'm not sure if a full install actually erases the
folder. I was under that assumption because the '06 folder (and contents)
was replaced by a single '09 file. The file ("iPhoto Library") would not
open in iPhoto '06 or '09. I was able to "Show Package Contents" and
re-import the originals into iPhoto '09. Not a great process, but at least
I didn't lose everything.
Tatian

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Tatian Greenleaf
Associate Director of Technology
Saint Mark's School
(415) 472-8000 x1014

[milesleacy]

Hi All,

I see a couple of solutions...

Remove the "iPhoto Library" bundle from your package:
If iLife'09 launches and doesn't find an iPhoto Library at ~/Pictures/, it displays a dialog asking you to browse to your library or create a new one. This isn't an ideal user experience, but it isn't terrible either. If there is a preexisting library from a previous version, the app will update the iPhoto library on first launch.

Be selective about FUT & FEU:
If you package iPhoto with a default library, using FUT will ensure that new accounts have a library and don't experience the process described above. If you use FEU, that's where you can get into issues with overwriting user data. If you don't use FEU, again users without a library will experience the process described above and users with a library will have their library updated.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks,

--
Miles Leacy
Technical Training Manager
Mobile (347) 277-7321

miles at jamfsoftware.com
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