Splitting the database

[Gilles Caulier]

Hi,

One database to rule all (as Gandalf said)...

If one database is used for all, you can process search cross-over
all, with common capture settings for ex.

One collection set in the database to the local SSD.
One collection set in the database to the removal SSD.

Take a care to setup right collection type in the configuration dialog page :

https://docs.digikam.org/en/setup_application/collections_settings.html

Best regards

Gilles Caulier

Le jeu. 30 oct. 2025 à 08:25, Thomas <sdktda at gmail.com> a écrit :
>
> I would go with 1 database; 2 albums.
>
>
> On 2025-10-30 01.03, digikam at sritch.com wrote:
> > My current setup is:
> >
> > - DK 8.8.0 appimage with the db on the laptop and all the photos on an usb external drive.
> > - SQLite db.
> > - I currently have have over 50k images and only 8k to 10k are to be keepers.
> > - Every image has a corresponding XMP.
> > - I use DK only for the DAM functionality. I use Darktable and ART
> >    for editing the photos.
> >
> > I just bought a second internal SSD (2tb) for my laptop.
> >
> > I want to split my images between the 2 drives:
> > - The keepers to go to the 2nd internal SSD.
> > - The others to stay on the external USB drive.
> >
> > What's the better option?
> >
> > a: 1 single database: 2 albums.
> >
> > One album for the keepers (always online) and another album for the
> > others, rarely online. Any change to the 'non-keepers', like keywords
> > or labels, and I would have to connect to external USB (not too often).
> >
> >   b: 2 databases with 2 different desktop shortcuts with
> > --database-directory <dir> and --config <config>
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >