multiple profile directory structure, migration, setup, backup issues.

toktay

Hello,

I am using manjaro/arch linux in my desktops.

My zotero library has grown to a point which I would like split into multiple profiles. I would like to understand multiple profiles before doing anything. I use multiple profiles in Firefox. It simply creates new directories under ~/.mozilla/firefox and can be managed with about:profies.

I have read the following links https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/multiple_instances

https://www.zotero.org/support/kb/multiple_profiles

I have following questions.

1. When there multiple is being used, how the directory structure changes?

My current default profile data folder is ~/Zotero. I backup ~/Zotero/storage folder. Do I need not create a new directory for each profile by myself? I plan create several profiles such as academics, seft-development etc. How should the directory structure be? I would like keep all Zotero data under ~/Zotero. I do not want to create ~/Zotero-default ~/Zotero-academics etc. Is it possible?

2. How can I migrate parts of default repository to other profiles. Does simple drag and drop work between two intances of Zotero app?

I understand that zotero connector saves document to the first opened instance or to zotero profile, I assume this will not problem for me since I will focusing or using one profile at a time.

Any help, insight much appreciated.

adamsmith

As general advice, I'd not recommend this. It works, but it's not how Zotero is designed and you'll run into all sort of issues, including that you either need to stop syncing or use multiple accounts, which means you'll need to remember which is which, pay for multiple accounts if you have multiple accounts with >300MB attachments you want to store, mobile apps are a mess, etc. Given that, there'll also be limited enthusiasm by people here to help you clean up any mess that working with multiple profiles gets you into.

That out of the way, for your questions:

~/Zotero. I backup ~/Zotero/storage

No, that's not right. You should back all ~/Zotero, otherwise you're missing the database (zotero.sqlite), the single most important part of your backup.
Therefore, you also need to have some version of ~/Zotero-default ~/Zotero-academics -- if this is just about not having multiple subfolders in your home directory, though, you can set up custom data folder locations and place them all in a single ~/Zotero folder, i.e. ~/Zotero/Zotero-default etc.

How can I migrate parts of default repository to other profiles. Does simple drag and drop work between two intances of Zotero app?

You can either use groups to transfer items or use export/import with Zotero RDF. I'm pretty sure dragging between open instances doesn't work.