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12-16-2018, 01:56 PM   #1
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Running Darktable and Lightroom 6 side-by-side?

I'm in the process of setting up my various software on a new laptop PC.

Prior to this, I've been running Linux Mint 18.3 as my sole OS, with digiKam, Darktable and GIMP 2.8 for my photography post-processing. Now, I'm setting up for dual boot Windows 10 Pro and Linux Mint 18.3 (or possibly 19). I intend to run the same post-processing workflow as before, under both Windows and Linux. However, I still have a licensed copy of Lightroom 6 stand-alone, and I'd quite like to run that under my Windows setup too so that I can compare between Lightroom and Darktable on occasion.

My question: Is it possible to run both Darktable and Lightroom side-by-side without messing up embedded and/or sidecar data for my images?

Thanks in advance

12-16-2018, 02:30 PM - 1 Like   #2
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I have a dual boot with Win 7 and Mint 19, (19.1 will be out soon), My images and Lightroom catalogue are on a separate drive. I access those images via Darktable from Mint (it just puts sidecar files in with the images) no problems, Lightroom doesn't mess with them as it works only with its catalogue.


So all should be good for you.
12-16-2018, 02:34 PM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by beachgardener Quote
I have a dual boot with Win 7 and Mint 19, (19.1 will be out soon), My images and Lightroom catalogue are on a separate drive. I access those images via Darktable from Mint (it just puts sidecar files in with the images) no problems, Lightroom doesn't mess with them as it works only with its catalogue.


So all should be good for you.
Thank you - that's great to hear!

Are there any settings I need to configure in LR, or does it work that way using default config? It's a while since I've used it in anger, so I'm a little rusty on the config details
12-16-2018, 02:45 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Are there any settings I need to configure in LR, or does it work that way using default config?
Do you meant Lightroom catalogue? When you install windows puts it here (Windows: \Users\[user name]\Pictures\Lightroom), just a matter of making sure you back up the catalogue to another drive or external hard drive.
Scroll down on this page has info.
Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC catalog FAQ

Are you setting up on a desktop machine? If so, the way I have it is as described, images and catalogue (which includes lightroom smart previews) on a separate drive, I back up that drive to an external drive, that way I have leeway if drive failure happens.

In the install (from memory) it gives you a chance to say where the catalogue should reside.

12-16-2018, 02:55 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by beachgardener Quote
Do you meant Lightroom catalogue? When you install windows puts it here (Windows: \Users\[user name]\Pictures\Lightroom), just a matter of making sure you back up the catalogue to another drive or external hard drive.
Scroll down on this page has info.
Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC catalog FAQ

Are you setting up on a desktop machine? If so, the way I have it is as described, images and catalogue (which includes lightroom smart previews) on a separate drive, I back up that drive to an external drive, that way I have leeway if drive failure happens.

In the install (from memory) it gives you a chance to say where the catalogue should reside.
I'm setting up a laptop. It has an SSD for the OS and applications (and this is where I'd intend to store catalogues too). It also has an HDD for data, including my photos. I could backup the catalogue to the internal HDD, though my usual backup discipline ensures regular backups of both OS and data drives.

Thanks for the info and link. I'll look into that
12-16-2018, 02:59 PM - 1 Like   #6
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For the way you are going, no worries, but I suggest a back up regime of backup Lightroom catalogue and images to external drive just to be on the safe side

---------- Post added 17-12-18 at 09:04 AM ----------

From memory windows makes a small partition called EFI, that is where you tell grub to go in the Mint Install. (that is if you do manual partitioning), but choosing "Mint alongside Windows" probably does this automatically.
12-17-2018, 05:47 AM - 1 Like   #7
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Historically, it has been easier for the dual-booter to install Windows first, and then let the Mint installer construct the needed grub configuration so both OS appear in the start-up menu (along with memtest, etc.). I recently did just that after using ancient recovery CDs to reinstall Win7 on an Acer laptop so I could do CACTUS firmware upgrades. (The resulting Win7 after endless Internet activity has only a passing resemblance to the original.) Using a live USB of Mint 18.3 or whatever before the Win installation to do partitioning under gparted may be helpful if you plan for the partitions you want.

12-17-2018, 07:07 AM - 1 Like   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Are there any settings I need to configure in LR, or does it work that way using default config? It's a while since I've used it in anger, so I'm a little rusty on the config details
If you want LR to only keep edits in the Catalog, then do NOT set LR to write changes to the xmp sidecar files. This option is in Catalog settings, not in Preferences.

Best wishes.
12-17-2018, 12:06 PM   #9
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Sorry I can't offer much on LR vs Darktable but have you considered having Windows run as a VM instead inside Mint?

It would make things easier to manage going forward as the windows partition is just another file on the Linux file system and can be moved from machine to machine as time progresses. Also switching from one tot he other won't require rebooting, only starting the Windows VM. I've used VirtualBox before and had fairly good results. I think Linux Mint is one of the Debian based distros (and tracks/use as a base Ubuntu) so I would think that either the Debian or Ubuntu package of VirtualBox would work basically as is.
12-17-2018, 01:06 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by MossyRocks Quote
Windows run as a VM instead inside Mint?
Yes agree, this is a very good way of doing it. I have set up virtualbox several times.

My question here is, how does VirtualBox handle graphics? Say on a desktop with nVidia graphics, can VB use the nVidia graphics or does it somehow set up it's own graphics.

Just wondering how that would affect the use of a colour manages screen as such?
If it works out I think I'll do it this way next time, or next reshuffle.
12-17-2018, 01:48 PM   #11
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Thanks for all the responses, folks. Much appreciated.

Regarding my dual boot setup...

The machine came pre-installed from HP with Windows 10 Pro, along with various proprietary Windows-only utilities (such as the DreamColor Assistant for calibrating the screen using the built-in colorimeter). Plus, there's various Windows-only software - some of it, quite processor intensive - that I'd like to run. Maybe some (or even all) of it would run happily in a VM, but I'd prefer not to risk it. For that reason, I'm intending to keep the original installation of Windows "as is", and partition the hard drive so I can install Linux Mint in the next few weeks.

Plus, seeing the above post, I don't know if and how the nVidia Quadra P2000 video card would operate under a VM installation of Windows...
12-17-2018, 02:35 PM - 1 Like   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by beachgardener Quote
Yes agree, this is a very good way of doing it. I have set up virtualbox several times.

My question here is, how does VirtualBox handle graphics? Say on a desktop with nVidia graphics, can VB use the nVidia graphics or does it somehow set up it's own graphics.

Just wondering how that would affect the use of a colour manages screen as such?
If it works out I think I'll do it this way next time, or next reshuffle.
QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Thanks for all the responses, folks. Much appreciated.
...
Plus, seeing the above post, I don't know if and how the nVidia Quadra P2000 video card would operate under a VM installation of Windows...
I'm pretty sure most OS installations will operate as minimal VGA until the correct drivers are installed. Mint can deal with nVidia gaming cards ab initio so long as the card predates that version of Mint. (Mint 18.1 onto a 1080Ti and Ryzen hardware system in the spring of 2017 was a bit messy.) I've never installed either Windows or Mint on a Quadra based system, so I don't know if the driver is available to Mint or a more limited setup process will occur until the system is pointed to the correct driver. Windows, I imagine, still wants the drivers to be installed locally, so an nVidia Quadra driver would need to be available on some readable medium, waiting for the inevitable insert driver disks now type message.
12-18-2018, 01:13 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by kaseki Quote
I'm pretty sure most OS installations will operate as minimal VGA until the correct drivers are installed.
Yes no worries, I understand the install of drivers to the operating systems. Not what I was asking as such.

Install the nVidia graphics via driver manager in Mint, ok, install and set up VirtualBox, install win 10 or 7 in VB and set up graphics drivers in windows. when you call up VB and start the windows VM how does it use the graphics?

What I'd like to know is how VirtualBox implements the graphics, does it actually use the installed graphics in each system or does it set up a minimal use graphics itself? If this is the case it might not be a good idea for using Lightroom in a VB situation, and a good case for a dual boot.

lets understand that colour management has to take place as well.
12-18-2018, 08:50 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by beachgardener Quote
My question here is, how does VirtualBox handle graphics?
That I don't know. I would be looking for passthrough support for it but beyond that I don't think there would be that much difference. If passthrough is supported it might require a dedicated card but I haven't played around with things there much. Most of my heavy compute loads can run natively under Linux or Windows with graphic card acceleration so I really haven' bothered doing further investigation.
12-18-2018, 03:55 PM   #15
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Some quick looking suggests that Virtualbox uses/provides virtual video drivers for different guest OSes, and as such one is limited to whatever Oracle thought was sufficient. The memory space in RAM is limited, and the user (as far as I can tell without a lot of research) cannot make use of the video card's processing. Thus while one might get the guest OS software to use the same ICC profile as the host OS, other goals such as getting 16-bit image data to a Quadra video card might not be achievable.
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