base and database directories cannot be same (or can they?)

Hi!

First I'd like to thank all involved in the development of Zotero for this brilliant software. It helps me tremendously in my every day work.
I work in a small company where we are all sharing the same Zotero database on an internal server (PC, Windows 10).
I am now trying to install Zotero for a colleague. After the installation on my colleague's PC, I go to the directories to give the path of our database on the internal server. So I first open MY Zotero, it gives me the path for the base directory and the database, which is the same in my case.
For example: X:\Zotero Library\Library.

I then stop Zotero on my PC and start it on my colleague's (it is not possible to start 2 instances at the same) and enter this path as base directory, no problem. Then I try to enter the same path for the database and I get an error telling me that the path for the basic directory cannot be the same as for the database.
Why can I do it on my PC and not on my colleague's?
Is it because my Zotero has been installed some time again and at that time there was not such a restriction?
  • Two things:
    1) You're misunderstanding what the base directory is and given your set up, you should almost certainly just not have it set at all (it is just for linked, not attached, files and doesn't do anything in a default Zotero set-up)
    2) Sharing a Zotero database with multiple people via an internal server is almost certain to lead to database corruption (and other malfunctions). Don't do it.
  • Thank you adamsmith for your answer!

    1) For your answer, I understand that the base directory should be left empty and only point the database directory to our actual database?

    2) Since we are not allowed to share anything with the wild wide web for security reasons, this is the only option left to us (or is it?). It worked until now and I make backups of our library often enough.
  • 1) correct

    2) depending on the nature of your workflow, you could manually transfer copies of the library or exchange Zotero RDF export. Both would be less convenient but safe. I can't emphasize enough how risky the server method is.
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