Data Migration

This guide explains how to migrate your ttmp32gme data between computers.

Data Locations

Default Locations

Linux: ~/.ttmp32gme/

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/ttmp32gme/

Windows: %APPDATA%\ttmp32gme\

Custom Locations

If you started ttmp32gme with --database or --library flags, your data is in those custom locations.

Migration Steps

Same-Platform Migration (Recommended)

Use this method when migrating between computers running the same OS (or between Linux and macOS).

Steps:

Stop ttmp32gme on source computer
Copy entire data directory to USB/network location
Install ttmp32gme on destination computer
Stop ttmp32gme if auto-started
Copy data directory to destination location
Start ttmp32gme - all data will be available

Cross-Platform Migration (Windows ↔ macOS/Linux)

Use this method only when migrating between Windows and another OS.

Note: For macOS ↔ Linux migrations, use Same-Platform method instead.

Steps:

Stop ttmp32gme on source computer
Copy all album folders from library directory
Install ttmp32gme on destination computer
Re-upload MP3 files and cover images for each album
Configure album settings to match original setup
Create GME files

Custom Paths

If using custom database or library paths with --database or --library flags, copy files from custom locations and start ttmp32gme with the same flags on the new computer.

Verification

After migration:

Start ttmp32gme
Check Library page - all albums should be visible
Check Config page - settings should match
Test printing a control sheet

Migrating from Perl Version

⚠️ WARNING: The automatic database upgrade may cause problems. It is highly recommended to make a backup before upgrading.

If you’re migrating from the older Perl version of ttmp32gme (pre-v2.0), the Python version will automatically fix encoding issues when you first open the database.

What happens automatically:

When you start ttmp32gme v2.0.1 or later with an old database, it detects the version
Database is automatically upgraded to v2.0.1
Text encoding is fixed for all album titles, artist names, and track information
Non-UTF-8 characters (like German umlauts: ä, ö, ü) are converted to proper UTF-8

Example: If your Perl database had an album titled “Albert E erklärt den menschlichen Körper” that appeared as “Albert E erkl�rt den menschlichen K�rper” due to encoding issues, it will be automatically corrected.

Recommendation: Create a backup before upgrading to avoid data loss in case of issues.

Troubleshooting

Albums missing: Verify you copied entire data directory, refresh page (F5), check file permissions

Permission errors: Ensure proper read/write permissions

Linux: chmod -R u+rw ~/.ttmp32gme/
macOS: chmod -R u+rw ~/Library/Application\ Support/ttmp32gme/

Text encoding errors: Should be automatically fixed when upgrading from Perl version. Check you’re running v2.0.1 or later.

Backup Recommendations

Create regular backups to prevent data loss:

Before updates
After creating new albums
Use scheduled/automated backups

Example commands:

Linux:

tar -czf ttmp32gme-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/.ttmp32gme/

macOS:

tar -czf ttmp32gme-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/Library/Application\ Support/ttmp32gme/

Windows (PowerShell):

Compress-Archive -Path $env:APPDATA\ttmp32gme -DestinationPath "ttmp32gme-backup-$(Get-Date -Format 'yyyyMMdd').zip"