Dates missing from my digiKam database

[Randolph M. Fritz]

I just tried creating a new database on a small set of images, and I was
asked if I wanted to delete digikamrc. No! I don't! I don't want to throw
away my existing database of, literally, decades of images.

How do I run this test without losing all my data?
-- 
Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com


On Thu, Jul 23, 2026 at 12:03 PM Randolph M. Fritz <rmfritz3 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Tried this with 9.2.0; same error, fell back to 9.1.0 again.
>
> I'm just relieved I didn't have to roll my database all the way back.
> --
> Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 20, 2026 at 9:56 PM Randolph M. Fritz <rmfritz3 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> No, I just tried 9.2.0. I fell back to 9.1.0. I have now attempted to
>> create a new database on a small collection, and the attempt drew the
>> following error: (I have a screenshot, too, but it's too big for the
>> mailing list)
>>
>> An error occurred during the internal server start.
>>> Details:
>>> Could not start database initializer.
>>> Executable: /Applications/digiKam.org/digikam.app/Contents/lib/mariadb/
>>> bin/mariadb-install-db
>>> Arguments: --defaults-file=/Applications/digiKam.org/digikam.app/
>>> Contents/Resources/digikam/database/mysql-global.conf, --basedir=/
>>> Applications/digiKam.org/digikam.app/Contents/lib/mariadb/, --datadir=/
>>> Users/randolph/Documents/dktest/.mysql.digikam/db_data
>>> Process error: Unknown error
>>> Please check the database settings in this dialog.
>>
>>
>> A bit of poking at the command line suggests a missing symlink in the
>> application bundle, but I really don't know for certain.
>> --
>> Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 17, 2026 at 11:27 PM Gilles Caulier <caulier.gilles at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> How did you double check that. Did you start a new database from
>>> scratch on a small collection to see if the datetime field is
>>> populated ?
>>>
>>> Best regards
>>>
>>> Gilles Caulier
>>>
>>> Le sam. 18 juil. 2026 à 06:29, Randolph M. Fritz <rmfritz3 at gmail.com> a
>>> écrit :
>>> >
>>> > Unfortunately, no, that version does not fix the problem.
>>> > --
>>> > Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Thu, Jul 16, 2026 at 9:37 PM Maik Qualmann <metzpinguin at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> The issue with the date view should be fixed in the digiKam-9.2.0
>>> pre-release;
>>> >> please test it here:
>>> >>
>>> >> https://files.kde.org/digikam/
>>> >>
>>> >> Maik
>>> >>
>>> >> Am Freitag, 17. Juli 2026, 06:03:22 Mitteleuropäische Sommerzeit
>>> schrieb
>>> >> Randolph M. Fritz:
>>> >> > I should add at this point that I can see dates in the file
>>> properties, so
>>> >> > they're in the image metadata.
>>> >> >
>>> >> > > I tried creating a small collection like you suggested and did the
>>> >> > > metadata scan, and it doesn't seem to do anything. Still no dates
>>> in the
>>> >> > > display.
>>> >> > >
>>> >> > > How do I query the internal mysql database? I'm suspecting at
>>> this point
>>> >> > > that the dates are actually in the database, but not being
>>> displayed; can
>>> >> > > you send me some commands to run?
>>> >> > > --
>>> >> > > Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>> >> > >
>>> >> > >
>>> >> > > On Thu, Jul 16, 2026 at 1:52 AM Gilles Caulier <
>>> caulier.gilles at gmail.com>
>>> >> > >
>>> >> > > wrote:
>>> >> > >> In fact this depend of multiple parameters.
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> What I don't understand is why the data is not populated in the
>>> >> > >> database. If date of shoot cannot be taken from the file metadata
>>> >> > >> there is a fail back to the file system date. So typically the
>>> date
>>> >> > >> must be populated in all cases in the database.
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> I recommend creating a small collection for testing and to
>>> populate a
>>> >> > >> small database with it. You must reproduce the problem. If yes,
>>> >> > >> capture the debug trace from a terminal to see where the problem
>>> is.
>>> >> > >> Look instructions here :
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >>
>>> https://www.digikam.org/contribute/#freezes-and-other-run-time-issues
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> Best regards
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> Gilles Caulier
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> Le jeu. 16 juil. 2026 à 03:31, Randolph M. Fritz <
>>> rmfritz3 at gmail.com> a
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> écrit :
>>> >> > >> > I've got the "Write to item and XMP Sidecar" setting turned
>>> on—is that
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> OK?
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> > Dates don't seem to be mentioned in the Advanced Metadata
>>> panel; do I
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> need to add them?
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> > --
>>> >> > >> > Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>> >> > >> >
>>> >> > >> >
>>> >> > >> > On Wed, Jul 15, 2026 at 11:16 AM Gilles Caulier <
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> caulier.gilles at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> > >> >> Yes the metadata sync to repopulate the date in the database.
>>> >> > >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> But the most important point is to know where to take the
>>> date in
>>> >> > >> >> metadata in your case. There is a advanced metadata panel in
>>> digiKam
>>> >> > >> >> where you can customize that. Another point is to know if the
>>> XMP
>>> >> > >> >> sidecar option need to be turned on.
>>> >> > >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> Best regards
>>> >> > >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> Gilles Caulier
>>> >> > >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> Le mer. 15 juil. 2026 à 17:46, Randolph M. Fritz <
>>> rmfritz3 at gmail.com>
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> a écrit :
>>> >> > >> >> > Thanks. I've been using mySQL internal which, at least on
>>> the Mac,
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> is in fact Maria.
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> >> > Which option of the maintenance tool should I use? The
>>> metadata
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> synchronizer? Or some other option?
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> >> > --
>>> >> > >> >> > Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>> >> > >> >> >
>>> >> > >> >> > On Wed, Jul 15, 2026, 4:51 AM Gilles Caulier <
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> caulier.gilles at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> > >> >> >> Migrating the databases without dates will not solve the
>>> problem.
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> The
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> items are not re-scanned.
>>> >> > >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> Try to run the maintenance tool and be forced to scan all
>>> items.
>>> >> > >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> Note: MySQL has diverged from MariaDB in terms of
>>> compatibility,
>>> >> > >> >> >> particularly with the latest versions of MySQL. We strongly
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> recommend
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> using MariaDB instead of MySQL.
>>> >> > >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> Best regards
>>> >> > >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> Gilles Caulier
>>> >> > >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> Le mer. 15 juil. 2026 à 07:20, Randolph M. Fritz <
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> rmfritz3 at gmail.com> a écrit :
>>> >> > >> >> >> > Since no-one replied, I ran the migration and…nothing
>>> happened.
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> It didn't change the database in settings, and the dates didn't
>>> reappear.
>>> >> > >> Do I have to rebuild the database from scratch? How do I even do
>>> that?
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> > --
>>> >> > >> >> >> > Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>> >> > >> >> >> >
>>> >> > >> >> >> >
>>> >> > >> >> >> > On Sun, Jul 12, 2026 at 8:38 PM Randolph M. Fritz <
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> rmfritz3 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> > >> >> >> >> Or at least, the dates don’t show up in the “Dates”
>>> view.
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> >> It’s an internal mySQL database. Is there any easy way
>>> to repair
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> this? Or would it be better just to migrate to SQLite? (I have
>>> 653 GB of
>>> >> > >> image files.)
>>> >> > >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>> digiKam: 9.1.0
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>> KDE Frameworks: 6.26.0
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>> Qt: Using 6.11.0 and built against 6.11.0
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>> macOS Sequoia (15.7.7)
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>> Build ABI: arm64-little_endian-lp64
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>> Kernel: darwin 24.6.0
>>> >> > >> >> >> >>
>>> >> > >> >> >> >> --
>>> >> > >> >> >> >> Randolph M. Fritz || rmfritz3 at gmail.com
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>>
>>
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