Windows10 create shared libraries under C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\KiCadLocalLibs

[jphutch60]

Running windows with multiple users 3 to be exact.
Since windows has Shared/Documents directory I would like to place all my Shared Libraries under KiCadLocalLibs/ … folder. Having a horrible waste of time getting Footprint library to be found.

Is there a document detailing how to define a Windows shared folder to hold all my shared library data?

In fact it would be nice to copy all the Users Library there.

Thanks

[hermit]

I’m not a Windows user but the first obvious question is, are all three users on the same computer or are you talking about a central server?

[jphutch60]

@hermit

are all three users on the same computer or are you talking about a central server?

There are 3 different accounts: user, guest & me .
user - account, is windows default, typically an admin account, unless you redefine permissions.
To install software I sign and use the “user” account with password.
I try to run with “me” if I don’t need admin permissions.

Thanks

[SembazuruCDE]

Check out this FAQ entry:

Library management in KiCad version 5

Disclaimer: screenshots taken in nightly from between version 5.0 and 5.1. Version 5.0.x looks slightly different. Version 5.1.x will look like the screenshots show. This is a detailed lecture. If you want to know how to simply add some assets you downloaded to KiCad then you can read the shorter tutorial https://forum.kicad.info/t/how-to-get-a-downloaded-symbol-footprint-or-full-library-into-kicad/19485/ Summary KiCad does not automatically detect libraries! There is no special library locati…

In particular the first picture in the section titled “Where should global libraries live within the file system.” But instead of putting your personal shared libraries in user home, put them in the public documents folder.

All three users will be able to automatically access the libraries supplied by the installer, but the above is a good way in Windows to allow all three user accounts to access your personal shared libraries. Each user account will need to configure the same path variable names as each user account will have their own separate KiCad configuration.

[Rene_Poschl]

@SembazuruCDE

Each user account will need to configure the same path variable names as each user account will have their own separate KiCad configuration.

This also likely includes the library table. But you can copy it from one user to another if you have one account that has access to all this directories. I am uncertain if even the admin account would be powerful enough.

Otherwise place your main lib tables somewhere central and use startup scripts to get this files shared with the other users.

But maybe there is a windows internal way that has the config directory somewhere central but looks to kicad as if it was in the users folder. You might even be able to use the environment variable KICAD_CONFIG_HOME to point it to a central setup directory. (problem here is that “recently opened projects” is also stored there which you might not particularly like as there could be privacy concerns. Also it might be annoying to everyone involved if they did not work for some time and suddenly have non of their projects in this list.)

This might be a good read: Where are the configuration files (settings, library tables)?

[jphutch60]

Thank both of you Hermit and SembazuruCDE
Poking around after I fired off my request; I did find where to set up Environment variables.
I added that to my
Preferences->ConfigurePaths
KICAD_SHARED_LOCAL_DIR
C:\Users\Public\Documents\KiCad_Shared_Local_Dir
Everything will go in here.

Because I am like Private Shultz: I know nothing, I am operating on my “first” install : installed using default settings ;

Thanks again