External Library: multiple external libraries or multiple import paths within a single library?
Hi, what's the recommended way to go here?
I have multiple different file locations (even though on the same NAS) which I'd like to include into immich via NFS as an external library.
I have added one location so far and that ahs worked well, so now I'm wondering how I should proceed.
As far as I can see I can either
- have multiple external libraries, each with one single import path, or
- one single external library with multiple import paths.
Are there advantages / caveats to either solution?
7 Replies
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If this ticket can be closed you can use the /close
command, and re-open it later if needed.You can mount the whole share once but then make multiple libraries with the specific paths
It's all about how you want to manage it, there is no real difference to immich
the only advantage of multiple libraries would be that when you decide to move around a folder for whatever reason you only need to redo that single library
Hi and thanks for you reply.
So you're saying there's internally not much difference for Immich?
Because for me, externally there's also no difference, I'll just mount more volumes into Immich's /mnt/... mount point and from here the question is if it all goes to the same External Library or not.
If I have all import paths in one External Library, can I remove individual import paths later on? Or would removal be easier if the import path is tied to a separate External Library which I'd remove completely in this case?
The import paths are what makes an external library
The mounting is just a docker thing, you could mount a million things and not use any and immich wouldn't see the difference versus no mounts 🙂
I understand the docker mounting thing. I don't understand fully why I can have multiple external libraries in immich, but also multiple import paths in a single library.
From the User nNterface, it seems to me that External Libraries and Import Paths are not one and the same.
So I still have the question whether Immich will behave the same when I delete an External Library with a single Import Path and when I remove that same Import Path from an External Library which has many other import paths.
If it's really the same, that would be great because then I can aggregate import paths into the same external library until I have the need for other Scan (exclude) settings for a certain existing folder structure and only then create a second external library.

but also multiple import paths in a single library.This is just a consequence of the mount, not a design decision
got it. thanks you very much for your patience and anwsers, highly appreciated!