Dark table creates XMP files during import

[DziadekGrabowski]

Describe the bug

Darktable creates XMP files during import, although I disabled XMP file creation during import

Steps to reproduce

I select Preferences _> Storage -> Create XMP files -> after edit I use Import -> add to library Darktable creates XMP files in direcroty during import

Expected behavior

Dont create XMP files

Logfile | Screenshot | Screencast

No response

Commit

No response

Where did you obtain darktable from?

downloaded from www.darktable.org

darktable version

4.8.1

What OS are you using?

Windows

What is the version of your OS?

Windows 10

Describe your system?

No response

Are you using OpenCL GPU in darktable?

None

If yes, what is the GPU card and driver?

No response

Please provide additional context if applicable. You can attach files too, but might need to rename to .txt or .zip

No response

[ptilopteri]

• DziadekGrabowski @.***> [10-22-24 18:43]:

Describe the bug

Darktable creates XMP files during import, although I disabled XMP file creation during import

do you see xmp files after import before opening the file in dt? opening a file in dt causes edits which would write xmp tiles.

just importing and closing dt w/o any other action should not generate xmp files.

-- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA @ptilopteri facebook/ptilopteri Photos: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/piwigo paka @ IRCnet oftc

[DziadekGrabowski]

I see XMP files after import before opening the file in DT. I import JPG files.

But if I use import in DT 4.4.2 (Legacy windows 7), DT don't create XMP files :-) !!!

[gi-man]

With 4.81, the after edit now includes other changes like tagging or maybe rating. If you do those operations on import, I could see why the xmp was created.

[DziadekGrabowski]

The described problem occurs when the photos are on a network drive mapped to Windows. Today I restarted DT and imported the files into the library from the network drive. I don't know why, but XMP files are not created for all files during import. XMP always appears for some files, never for others. I can't find the correctness. I'll test it again.

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue has been marked as stale due to inactivity for the last 60 days. It will be automatically closed in 300 days if no update occurs. Please check if the master branch has fixed it and report again or close the issue.

[blueglyph]

Same bug with Darktable 5.0.0 running on Windows 10.

I imported more .nef photos from one of the usual folders, which all are on my fixed harddisk, and Darktable immediately created a .xmp file for each of the new photos. My setting is:

create XMP files: after edit

I was only in Lightroom, scrolling through the photos in the central panel. I hadn't switched to Darkroom in that session yet.

I never had this in the previous version, 4.8.1.

(EDIT)

• To be perfectly clear: I redid the test, and the .xml file is created immediately, before I do anything else in Lighttable.
• I tested with the setting on never, imported a photo, and the .xml file wasn't created (although Darktable mistakenly switched to Darkroom on that photo without my doing anything, weird).
• I tested with the setting back to after edit, but the problem was still there (importing one photo creates the .xmp file immediately).

[ptilopteri]

• Redglyph @.***> [12-30-24 08:38]:

Same bug with Darktable 5.0.0 running on Windows 10.

I imported more .nef photos from one of the usual folders, which all are on my fixed harddisk, and Darktable immediately created an xmp file for each of the new photos. My setting is:

create XMP files: after edit

I was only in Lightroom, scrolling through the photos in the central panel. I hadn't switched to Darkroom in that session yet.

I never had this in the previous version, 4.8.1.

just to test, and I am on linux, master 5.1.0+23~g8855ec9e8c I changed my xmp settings from "on import" to "never", imported several nef's and xmp files were NOT created. I changed from "never" to "after edit" with the same result.

perhaps a local problem or a windows build problem.

-- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA @ptilopteri facebook/ptilopteri Photos: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/piwigo paka @ IRCnet oftc

[blueglyph]

@ptilopteri Interesting that you don't have the same outcome after the change. Did you get .xmp files created when importing only, before doing that test?

[ptilopteri]

• Redglyph @.***> [12-30-24 15:23]:

@ptilopteri Interesting that you don't have the same outcome after the change. Did you get .xmp files created when importing only, before doing that test?

cannot say as I do not understand why the setting exists.

everyone has their own default working situation. I utilize: darktable --library :memory: edit export then import that image groupe into dt.

mostly because I would on multiple desktops and maintain a single library.

and I have no problem with "rm -f *.xmp"

-- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA @ptilopteri facebook/ptilopteri Photos: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/piwigo paka @ IRCnet oftc

[blueglyph]

cannot say as I do not understand why the setting exists. everyone has their own default working situation. I utilize: darktable --library :memory: edit export then import that image groupe into dt. mostly because I would on multiple desktops and maintain a single library. and I have no problem with "rm -f *.xmp"

Then we can't deduce anything from what you posted. Maybe your version was never creating the .xmp before editing. Besides, your version of Darktable is different.

So I'm not sure why you posted that at all... It's only confusing.

[ptilopteri]

• Redglyph @.***> [12-30-24 16:20]:

cannot say as I do not understand why the setting exists. everyone has their own default working situation. I utilize: darktable --library :memory: edit export then import that image groupe into dt. mostly because I would on multiple desktops and maintain a single library. and I have no problem with "rm -f *.xmp"

Then we can't deduce anything from what you posted. Maybe your version was never creating the .xmp before editing. Besides, your version of Darktable is different.

or the problem has been corrected since your version issue. you could try latest master

or the problem is specific to the windows builds.

So I'm not sure why you posted that at all... It's only confusing.

no problem, I will endeavour to not confuse you further.

-- (paka)Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA @ptilopteri facebook/ptilopteri Photos: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/piwigo paka @ IRCnet oftc

[gi-man]

OP, do you have import metadata (eg. Copyright) or rating or an auto preser?

[wpferguson]

Are you applying any tags or styles on import? Those count as edits, so XMP files are created in those cases. Or if you import an image with an embedded tag.

[blueglyph]

Are you applying any tags or styles on import? Those count as edits, so XMP files are created in those cases. Or if you import an image with an embedded tag.

Not that I know of; I don't even know what tags are. But I saw that it was only creating .xmp files when I imported photos made by my Nikon camera, not when they came from a smartphone. The .xmp files contained 3 steps like basecurve, sigma, etc.

I uninstalled Darktable completely, removed all the files in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\darktable, installed 5.0.0 again.

• when it first opened, the window was quite small, stuck at the top left, and couldn't be resized (I had to move it first before resizing it - it was in a weird state).
• I tried to add a directory to the "places" in add to library, and Darktable crashed.
• I uninstalled / reinstalled Darktable (removing the AppData directory as before to have a clean install),
• same issue with the windows stuck at the top left, so I unstuck it and resized it to a usable size
• changed the option create XMP files to after edit
• added the same directory to "places" - without crash, this time - imported two photos that hadn't been processed and had no .xmp

=> no .xmp added

[gi-man]

You edited your original post. Is the issue resolved? If yes, can you close it?

[eobet]

I just imported a lot of RAW files over a Samba share in Linux and got .xmp files generated for every single photo.

Also, a 1 star rating on everything, which is super annoying as I like to keep all unsorted photos unrated!

EDIT: Ok, so colors have a very visible "clear color" button, but not so for star ratings... however, you can apparently select everything and click twice on the 1-star to clear ratings... very inconsistent and unintuitive, though.

[github-actions[bot]]

This issue has been marked as stale due to inactivity for the last 60 days. It will be automatically closed in 300 days if no update occurs. Please check if the master branch has fixed it and report again or close the issue.