Keeping track of backups

[Gusto5]

In a previous thread (link copied below) a SD user asked the same question I'm interested in. I would like a simple way to see the date of the last time I backed up each hard drive. I'm not particularly tech savvy and the instructions in the SD User Guide leave me scratching my head.

Is there any way to have SD save the Logs and add a date to the time of day column? I'm thinking that would be a helpful way to solve this request.

Failing that could you post instructions on how to use the "Run shell script before copy starts" in the Advanced Options section. When it directs me to open a file which file should I navigate to to open?

Thanks for your help.

g

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2957&highlight=date+backup

[dnanian]

If these are scheduled copies, you'd just look in the Scheduled Copies window.

[Gusto5]

I don't use Schedule Backup - I just run a backup about once a week.

Any tips on keeping track of backups given my use pattern?
Or how to navigate Run shell script?

And, not to fragment my question too much, but if I used Schedule Backup don't I have to leave my external firewire HD running all the time? And doesn't that shorten its life or increase chances of a HD failure?

Thanks for your help.

[dnanian]

Shell scripts are for those who know how to write them, generally: they're little Unix commands. If you're not particularly savvy, it's unlikely they'll prove useful to you.

Perhaps you could use our Growl support to send you an email on successful completion, then use a Mail rule to put those in a "when I ran a backup" folder?

[dnanian]

(And, no: your drive doesn't have to be running all the time to schedule. It just has to be connected. You can eject it, and it'll usually spin down; we'll mount it, copy and eject automatically.)