insert photos from outside web folders using a link instead of an upload

[doc-dj]

Just got CPG running and I can upload and display images. Love it!! Now for my problem:

I have several thousand photos in multiple folders managed by photoshop. I would like to be able to have MANY of these photos (possibly whole folders and sub-folders) visible via CPG without actually duplicating the images as is done by the "file upload" command. I would be happy if I could just insert a link to a folder and have all its photos displayed. That way, when I modify a photo in Photoshop, the modified version would be visible in CPG.

Can I do any of this?? How??

[Joachim Müller]

I guess you're running your webserver on your own PC. For a start, you should use the batch-add function instead of regular http uploads. You could use symlinks (when on Linux) or the Windows equivalent (try Winbolic) if the pics reside in a folder outside of your coppermine root folder. However, all of this is not recommended. We do not recommend self-hosting at all. If you're serving from your local machine, then disk space should not be an issue. I recommend mirroring your folder structure within your local pic storage and the albums sub-folder within coppermine. However, changed files will not be automatically added nor changed. There's a plugin/mod available as well. don't remember the name though out of the back of my head.
My main mission is though to talk you out of self-hosting

Joachim

[doc-dj]

Joachim,
I teach several courses at the university level and use the Apache webserver on my own PC at school to host lots of support materials. I have written several CGI's (in C++) to keep it ticking. I have a mirror of the school site here at home and am using the home site to host BLOG:CMS, PunBB and finally CPG. When I get those all working, I want to port them to the school machine to support my courses as well. The photos on the home machine will be personal. I can use any tips you might have for the photo support, as well as any security help you might offer.

[Joachim Müller]

OK, if you're not using your PC as production server, but only as a testbed/mirror, that's OK imo. Now back to my other suggestion: are you familiar with symlinks (or the Windows equivalent called "Junctions")? Check out http://www.pearlmagik.com/winbolic/. This way, you can batch-add (or mass-import, that's the name of the mod I was refering to in my previous posting afaik) your pics. To maintain changes, you'll have to run admin tools every time you change pics, and you'll have to run batch-add everytime you add new ones.
Coppermine doesn't support remote storage, if this is what you're looking for.

[doc-dj]

Joachim,
Well, it depends on what you mean by "production". If you are referring to a web business, then no, that's not my purpose.  If you mean about a dozen concurrent users, then yes, that IS what I support.

Can I assume that the thumbnails will be properly built if I use winbolic ot create a link to a folder, or do I have to create a link for each photo? What if I just used Windows "shortcuts" to the folders that "own" the photos?

DJ

[Joachim Müller]

A Windows shortcut is just a file named somefile.jpg.lnk - won't work. I'm not even sure if junctions will work - I suggested you try that. The way you're trying to use Coppermine is not the intended use - you're on your own with this and will have to experiment and test thoroughly. I just posted some suggestions that may help. In fact, this is not support, but advice.

Therefor, the answer to your question

Can I assume that the thumbnails will be properly built

is "no, you can't assume that. You'll have to find out. Preferably, let us know your results.

Another option (as I suggested above) is using a third-party app to mirror/synchronize your "original" pic folder and the one within Coppermine. Drawback: double space on hard-drive wasted. As suggested above: an app designed for use on a webserver is not a desktop app. You can (license-wise) try to use Coppermine the way you plan to, but this goes unsupported (as in "we can't advice, as we're not sure").

You keep on coming back to my remark about self-hosting. Quite frankly: you may have experience in C++ coding. This doesn't necessarily make you an expert on running webservers publicly. We (Coppermine dev team) have members who actually are experienced in this field, so it's justified to give advice on this issue. All I can say is that self-hosting (publicly available) is not recommended unless you really, really know your way around and have a lot of time (preferably 24/7) to maintain your server. However, it's your choice. No need for further tries to justify this.

Joachim

[doc-dj]

Joachim,
I tried winbolic, but couldn't seem to get its links to files or folders to work with Coppermine. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I'll keep playing with it. Thanks for the advice (all of it). I understand your concerns about website security.

regards,
DJ

[Stramm]

Junction points (NTFS5) should work. At least a CPG user reported back it did for him
http://www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm

[doc-dj]

I didn't want to use junction points due the danger of deleting the files if the junction is deleted by mistake.

[Joachim Müller]

Then you're resitant against advice and have to figure this out on your own. However, Winbolic uses Junctions as well. I had the impression you had given it a try.
Closing this thread.

[doc-dj]

I am NOT resistant to advice. I AM cautious. I tried the shell links and they didn't work. Before I try junctions, I want to do a bit more research on them. I rarely just take someone's word for things regarding computers. I have already survived an attempt to make a zombie of my PC and don't want to have to go through it again.

[doc-dj]

I recently tried to set up backpointers (using winbolic to create junctions) to my original photos. When I used CPG to delete the CPG album containing the photo thumbnails, the original photos were also deleted! Clearly I did something wrong, but fortunately I was using test images. The CPG album DID get thumbnail spaces, but the pictures were X'd out (which is why I wanted to delete the album and re-start).  I had previously tried Winbolic shell links, but couldn't get those to work at all.

If anyone has any kind of tutorial on creating CPG albums using junctions or links to avoid file dupes on a self-hosted system, I would appreciate any hints you might have.

regards,
DJ

[Joachim Müller]

Merged your new thread with this one. Junctions behaved exactly as advertized. You should have read the docs that come with Winbolic - there are big, bold warnings that exactly what you experienced would happen. However, I have to tell you once more: what you're up to do is not what Coppermine was designed to be used for. You're on your own with this. Asking for support on Winbolic or other apps that let you create Junctions on this board is pointless. It takes good skills as server admin to use them. As suggested before, running your own webserver without years of experience is fine if you're doing this to experiment and learn from your experience. However, don't expect everything to work flawlessly. Don't expect to get support on exotic Coppermine usage or third-party-apps here - this is the coppermine support board. When doing things you're not familiar with, make sure you have a working backup.
Starting a new thread just because I closed this one is rude. Don't.

[doc-dj]

I apologize.I was not trying to be rude. I was trying to gather information to help me use Coppermine as it was intended. YES! I DID read the warning, however, it was not clear that Coppermine would delete the originals, but rather the ALBUM containing the thumbnails. The ALBUM was not the junction, nor did it contain the junction!!! The junction was OUTSIDE the album.  Although I AM self-hosting on my home system, I hope to learn how I can use Coppermine for my regular website AND be able to occasionally insert photos from the server itself. I am not trying to subvert your advice. I have been hosting systems for over 5 years. I have the services of a full-time professional web admin, when needed. I am a fulltime, computer professional, retired from a major computer manufacturer, with a Ph. D. in CS, so I am aware of many web-hosting problems. I am not just tinkering. I admit that I don't know everything and am ALWAYS willing to listen to advice. But I am not commited to USING that advice if it does not apply to my situation.

regards,
dj