Hi Neil Thank you for your clear arguments and instructions. I set up the alias to the iTunes folder as you suggested and it all works. So simple - when you know how. I have old purchased film and music from Apple’s Cloud ready for testing downloads - a short movie trailer and a song from the free U2 album Apple sent out a few years ago.
Thanks again Alan > On 15 May 2019, at 12:37 pm, Neil Houghton <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Alan, > > Before I start, a disclaimer - I am still running El Capitan (OSX 10.11) so > some things may have changed in High Sierra - up to you to see if my comments > remain valid ;o) > > In the past I have had my iTunes library on a separate disk without problems. > My current setup also has it on a separate drive to the OS - but it is on the > same drive as my user folder and still in my user folder's Music folder. > > In your case, I am assuming that you have only moved your iTunes library to > the external drive - not your entire user folder. > > In my El Capitan setup, the Music folder contains an iTunes folder which > contains various iTunes created files/folders including the iTunes media > folder and Album Artwork folder. > > As you have already noted the actual Music folder is managed by the system > and is not owned by the user. The next level down iTunes folder is owned by > you (the user) and so this is the level that I would be "customising" > > My approach would be: > Do not try and move, duplicate or alias the "Music" folder > Have the "iTunes" folder on the external drive > Make sure that iTunes is using this external folder (check iTunes preferences) > Create an alias of this external "iTunes" folder and move the alias to your > Home/Music folder > Check whether your Home/Music folder contains an automatically created > "iTunes" folder - if so check that you have not inadvertently got any media > content in there and then delete it. > Rename the alias of the external "iTunes" folder from "iTunes alias" to > "iTunes" > Double check that iTunes is still using the external folder (it should be but > check iTunes preferences and “reselect” it if it has got confused!) > > Now iTunes should be successfully using the iTunes folder on the external > drive and browsing in Finder will take you from your Home/Music folder to the > "iTunes" (alias) folder to all your content. > > > Double check everything is working as expected (add some new media and > confirm it all goes where it should. > > > HTH > > > Cheers > > > Neil > -- > Neil R. Houghton > Albany, Western Australia > Tel: +61 8 9841 6063 > Email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > -----Original Message----- > From: <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> on behalf of Alan > Smith <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Reply-To: WAMUG <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Date: Wednesday, 15 May 2019 at 10:11 > To: WAMUG <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Subject: Trouble with Music Alias > > I moved my entire iTunes library to an external drive, from the ~/Music > level. It works but - - -. > > I want to use finder at the Home/Music folder to examine the content of > the lower level music folders on the external drive. I created an alias of > Music at the top of the external tree and copied it to the original Home > folder. But the new alias points to the old internal Music folder! From > ‘Get Info’ of the alias I can select a new original and change this to the > external drive. > > Finder is happy with this and I can access the external files from this > level downwards. I now have the original Home/Music folder which I cannot > modify, similar to other standard Apple folders such and Movies and Pictures. > I assume macOS needs this locked reference for its own navigation. But for > my direct Finder access I need to keep the alias which cannot be named > ‘Music’. Or I need to find another way. > > What can I do and how would I do it? Three possibilities come to mind. > 1. Replace the Music folder in the Home directory with its alias. 2. Hide > the Home/Music folder and continue using the alias. 3. Use a symbolic link > rather than an alias. I have no experience with any of these for > implementation or impact on normal macOS. Comments and help please! > > Computer is a late 2014 Mac mini with 256GB SSD and os High Sierra. I > usually access it using Share Screen from a 27 inch iMac. > > Regards > Alan > > > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml>> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml>> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>> > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml>> > Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml > <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml>> > Settings & Unsubscribe - > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug > <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>>
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