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[Paus]

I've been looking forward to the Mac version for like forever, great news!

Can I use the same MC library on my local USB hard-drive with both the Mac and Windows version? I don't mean necessarily at the same time, just one or the other. Or does the Mac version use a different library format?

[JimH]

Can I use the same MC library on my local USB hard-drive with both the Mac and Windows version? I don't mean necessarily at the same time, just one or the other. 

Maybe. 

[jmone]

Mmmmm I wonder of a MC-Mac client can connect to a MC-Windows Library Server....

[Matt]

We expect the library to eventually use the same binary format, and also to eventually allow client / server connections between platforms.

However, filenames are represented differently on the two platforms and we haven't solved how to nicely convert as a library moves between the platforms.

[Magne]

To be able to use the same USB hard-drive MC library on MAC and PC, the hard-drive must first of all be exFAT formatted from the Windows PC. Then you can install the library from both platforms to the hard-drive. If you intend to use AIFF It might be best to download the files from the MAC to the exFAT formatted hard-drive. When download AIFF files in Windows som tags information may be invisible for some tracks in the windows file structure. Be also aware that the AIFF and WAV files do not define standard tags to store and interpret the various players often different (and contradictory way).
I'm working myself for the same solution. Until today I use MC18/Windows/USB SSD/AIFF at home. In my summerhouse I will now install Mac Mini and use the same USB hard-drive library as for the PC at home. And I think the solution above is the only way to get it work without different or two Mac and PC compatible formatting partitions on the hard-drive.
But if the MC Mac version use a different library format different from Windows, may be this solution don't work at all.

[glynor]

In MC, the Library != the media files.

This refers to the database.  The media files can easily be stored on Network Attached Storage where the filesystem is irrelevant (or streamed by MC itself).  The important point is if it'll be able to handle the database, and client connections.

In any case, if we do get there with local file support, you can certainly use HFS+ on Windows or NTFS on OSX, with some cheap third party filesystem drivers.

Paragon's NTFS for Mac works great (as does their HFS for Windows).  I generally actually prefer using NTFS on my Macs over HFS+ (which is awfully fragile).

[Paus]

Well I got the Mac/Win mutual drive usage covered by using NTFS and a Mac plugin, so that part works. Maybe I'll store both libraries side by side then on the same drive for a while. My plan is to use only the Mac MC sooner or later, but as it is in alpha right now, I think it's too early for that, so I'd like to have both options for a while, that's why I asked.

[Magne]

When exFAT formatting the hard drive instead of NTFS you don't need any Mac plugin or third party filesystem drivers, that's the different.
You can then any time connect the USB hard drive to your MAC or PC.

[glynor]

When exFAT formatting the hard drive instead of NTFS you don't need any Mac plugin or third party filesystem drivers, that's the different.
You can then any time connect the USB hard drive to your MAC or PC.

Problem with exFAT is the file-size limits.  That's a nonstarter for me as a video editor.  I have single files in my Library that are hundreds of GB in size.

[Magne]

The limit for exFAT filesize is 16 Exabyte! I think you mix with FAT32, the earlier version of exFAT. FAT32 maximum filesize is 4 GB. Not a problem with audio, but of course with videofiles.

How much is exabyte? One milion gigabyte! Even you have space for all your videos More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exabyte

More info also here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT

[Magne]

Sorry, I meen 1 billion gigabyte!

[glynor]

The limit for exFAT filesize is 16 Exabyte! I think you mix with FAT32, the earlier version of exFAT. FAT32 maximum filesize is 4 GB. Not a problem with audio, but of course with videofiles.

How much is exabyte? One milion gigabyte! Even you have space for all your videos More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exabyte

More info also here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExFAT

I knew that was possible with OSX, but I didn't think support for files over 4GB was supported on Windows (meaning the files would be unreadable).  But, I haven't tried, I admit.

FAT, though, still has some serious underlying problems (much like HFS+) which allow the volume to easily fall into an inconsistent state.

[Magne]

No problem with exFAT on Windows for this purpose. I run my MC18 library from Windows and exFat formatted external hard drives. At another location I use the same portable library SSD drives for Mac Mini and ITunes/Amarra so far, and from next week with MC18 for Mac. I look forward to analyze the influence on a high end soundstage and differences between platforms.

[glynor]

Cool.  Good to know.  As I looked into it after you commented, it did seem like they fixed all of that with Vista, and I'd somehow missed it.

Of course, Windows won't let you format large volumes to exFAT, but you can do that on OSX, so that's not a huge issue.  The bigger issue for me is certainly data integrity.  I've just had way too many hosed (or partially hosed) FAT and HFS+ partitions due to an improper dismount or crash.

NTFS does not do that.

You might lose data that is in-flight (if you don't disable write caching for the volume like a good boy), but the filesystem itself is quite resilient (even NTFS has problems in this regard, but it is miles better than both HFS and FAT, despite extensions).

Apple needs a new filesystem.  HFS was designed for floppies with total sizes measured in KB.  All the extensions they keep adding are band-aids on a sinking ship.

In any case, if you need to use NTFS on OSX, Paragon's driver is awesome, cheap, and reliable.  I've never had ANY trouble with it at all (though I'm a little conservative doing major OS updates until all my software is ready-to-go).