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10.3, 10.2: Make iTunes Library Shared (better than Apple)
Authored by: jwoolson on Jan 15, '04 12:20:01AM
This doesn't apply to being able to *launch* iTunes, it is how to *share* the music from one library to all users.

This tip works best if you set it up BEFORE you start adding music to anyone's library. This will share the music files and Library XML file, but it won't help resolve the iTunes Music Store ID conflicts, nor will it let you launch iTunes without using the tip at the top of this thread.

1. Pick one of the User's Music folder to be the Master Music Library.

2. Set the priviledges of that Music Folder to read/write for All Users and move it to a shared location such as /Users/Shared/.

3. Create a symbolic link (not an alias) of the /Users/Shared/Music folder within each User's folder /User/[theusername]/Music

4. Repeat symbolic link for each for the remaining users so that every user has a symbolic link, i.e.: /Users/Shared/Music folder -> /User/[theusername]/Music for all users.

This will not require any changes to iTunes' Preferences and it will let each user access the same music library. There won't be any duped music because iTunes will check for dupes when you import music while logged in as any of the users.

It gets a bit messy if you want to combine all the various users' music libraries into the single library. The principle is that you'll have to drop the second, third... users' Music folders into the master library, but it will discard Star Ratings, etc.

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Jonathan Q. Woolson
Louisville, CO 80027

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