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Hozie · Apr 2, 2003, 04:13 PM

I'd like to do a backup of my apps and preferences. The question I have is: does it suffice to drag my apps and prefs folders to, say, a DVD and then burn that? If I subsequently reinstall OS X, can I just open up the DVD and drag my prefs and apps to the according folders? Thanks guys!

malvolio · Apr 2, 2003, 05:26 PM

No. Doing a drag-and-drop in the Finder will fail to copy invisible files and permissions. You will need to use the "ditto" command in the Terminal, or a utility like Carbon Copy Cloner, TRI-Backup or Retrospect.

Hozie · Apr 3, 2003, 04:48 AM

Ah, dang... Ok, thanks for the info mate!

ShotgunEd · Apr 3, 2003, 04:55 AM

Carbon Copy Cloner is a good app for making X backups.

Its basically a front-end to the unix ditto command that malvolio mentioned.

Its used as such

Code:
ditto -rsrcFork sourceDirectory destinationDirectory

Preciousss · Apr 3, 2003, 09:06 AM

Could you elaborate on <i>when</i> you enter that ditto command in Terminal? In the first poster's example, insert the DVD with your preferences, then ditto?

Also, I have Carbon Copy Cloner but apparently it only works with external drives (i.e. can't backup directly to disc).

I won't be getting an external drive anytime soon, is there any way to have it back up to a disc image on the desktop or DVD?

Thanks

Hozie · Apr 7, 2003, 06:06 PM

Yeah, I'd love some more details on the ditto command. I basically have the same question as Preciousss. I want to make a backup of my apps and preference files on DVD. That way, I can just copy them back on my fresh install and work away. The question is the following: if I use the ditto command as indicated below, it creates an identical folder as the original, permissions and all.... but how do I get that folder onto my DVD? I can't just ditto the original onto the DVD can I?

Brass · Apr 7, 2003, 06:30 PM

For documents and preferences, I just do drag-and-drop and be done with it. Very simple.

There's no invisible files that I want to keep in those directories, so that doesn't worry me.

Works fine!

Applications, however are a bit different. It's important to preserve everything exactly as it is with some applications, including permissions and invisible files. However, even most applications that I've copied with the Finder work fine in the copies destination (with the exception of some permission problems with some apps).

Hozie · Apr 9, 2003, 05:17 AM

Thanks, but can anyone elaborate on the practical use of the 'ditto' command (for applications)?

m.brown · Apr 9, 2003, 12:27 PM

Originally posted by Hozie:
Thanks, but can anyone elaborate on the practical use of the 'ditto' command (for applications)?

Get a copy of PsyncX and forget about the command line if you are not familar with it.

Here

Hozie · Apr 9, 2003, 05:17 PM

It's not that I'm unfamiliar with the command line... I just want to learn how that 'ditto' command works. In fact, I prefer to do stuff from the CLI... and I'm too lazy to do an 'apropos ditto'

.

msuper69 · Apr 9, 2003, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by Hozie:
It's not that I'm unfamiliar with the command line... I just want to learn how that 'ditto' command works. In fact, I prefer to do stuff from the CLI... and I'm too lazy to do an 'apropos ditto' .

Open a terminal window and type 'man ditto'.