[digiKam-users] copy of collection and database onto new device

[Ty Mayn]

I am newbie intending to tag a collection of images that must be used for a
project by someone else in read only fashion on windows. Instead of linux I
deployed digikam only on windows.
    With a small tagged collection on windows I have tested migration of
database to a new thumbdrive location. (the migration tool is misnamed
since it creates a copy and I am glad it leaves behind original) My
database folder and image folders are separated on 2 devices and both must
be copied to a single thumbdrive
    I migrated/copied the database to the new device and it appeared to
replicate only the primary digikam4 file so I copied "thumbnails-digikam"
manually. On restart of digikam it was obvious that the new configured
database copy  retained the "original path" for all images.
  Then configured collection settings  to remove the original collection
and point to the new image folders sitting onto the same new device. But
This identical copy collection appeared to be devoid of tags and clearly
was pointing down a new path.
      I then decided to close digikam and hide away the original folder
tree containing the original collection. Digikam then wakes up devoid of a
useable collection . I then add the new collection which is recursive
folder copy on the same new device location as the copied database folder
and digikam seemed to retain all tags and good search features.
      I feel like I had to steal the original images away from the copied
database in order to point the database to the newly copied images and
retain tags for the identical image names.     It is my intention to not do
any writing of metadata or tags into individual images but depend only on
database tags.
    Is this the safe and usual way to copy a tagged collection of images?
When digikam wakes up to find its images pathways stolen does the
programming provide some loop that searches for bare filenames in any newly
added collection?
   Can digikam seek out matching files in any folder pathes even with files
distributed across differing folder trees?
  Is digikam programmed to find and matchup a partial collection of
filenames wherever and whenever encountered?
   If there is such match making to marry data rows to files, then does
that occur only once at the time of parsing out a newly assigned folder
collection, or ongoing at every wakeup of  the program?

  Am I just imaging this apparent behavior?

Ty Mayn
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