sparse bundle error

[jmwilder]

I've upgraded to 2.6.1 and am trying to take advantage of the save to sparse bundle option. I'm running Snow Leopard. Unfortunately, I get the following error when I try to mount:

hdiutil: create failed - Operation not supported

Trying to save instead to a sparse image works fine. I'm backing up to a D-Link NAS (DNS-321) with EXT2 file system. Is the sparse bundle image incompatible with EXT2 or should I look elsewhere for the problem? Any ideas? Thanks.

[djc]

I'm getting a similar error:

| 08:12:42 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Preparing MBP
| 08:14:25 PM | Info | hdiutil: create failed - Operation not supported
| 08:14:25 PM | Error | ****FAILED****: result=256 errno=22 (Unknown error: 0)

Buffalo LS-WSGL/R1 XFS

[sjk]

That's a permissions error, possibly caused by SD! not setting a permission that's compatible with the filesystem you're storing the sparse bundles on. If you run ls -dl /path/to/file.sparsebundle in a Terminal shell and post the output here I can see what OS X thinks the permissions are.

A workaround might be to manually adjust the permission, manually mount the sparse bundle volume, then select the mounted volume as the SD! copy target. If you try that be careful not to reselect the sparse bundle filename as the target again because SD! might recreate it because of the permission problem.

[djc]

can do, however I do not know how to specify the path correctly.

the NAS is named LINKSTATION and the share is called Backup. Not sure what I need to do in terminal to display the information you request for a remote drive. I'll play around and see what I can come up with for now.

[sjk]

I'm not familiar with the NAS naming conventions, but maybe the pathname to the sparse bundle would be something like:

/Volumes/Backup/file.sparsebundle

If you can't figure it out someone else with more direct experience can give you more step-by-step help. In any case I'm sure Shirt Pocket will have a fix for it (if possible) relatively soon.

[djc]

That worked

there is no file in the directly as SD! can't create, but here is the output you asked for:

drwx------ 1 djc staff 16384 Aug 30 21:10 /volumes/backup


Thanks for your help!

[sjk]

The permissions at that level looks fine.

I doubt it matters for this, but if you run File > Get Info (Command-I) on the /Volume/Backup volume in Finder is "Enable ownership on the volume" under the bottom Sharing & Permissions section checked or unchecked?

Next I'd run find /Volumes/Backup -name '*.sparsebundle' in a Terminal shell to find the .sparsebundle pathname(s), e.g.:

% find /Volumes/Backup -name '*.sparsebundle'
/Volumes/Backup/eMac/Macintosh HD@lovelight.sparsebundle
/Volumes/Backup/iMac/Media@halo.sparsebundle
/Volumes/Backup/iMac/Users@halo.sparsebundle

After you've found one that's causing SD! trouble you can run ls -dl /Volume/Backup/path/to/file.sparsebundle to view its permissions. And if you open the folder it's in then try opening the actual .sparsebundle (by double-clicking it) you'll get an error if it's a permissions problem (like I suspect).

Sorry I don't have an instant answer/solution. The info I'm asking for helps analyze and understand the cause of the problem before moving further.

[dnanian]

Are you able to create a sparse bundle on that volume with Disk Utility?

[djc]

The permissions at that level looks fine.

I doubt it matters for this, but if you run File > Get Info (Command-I) on the /Volume/Backup volume in Finder is "Enable ownership on the volume" under the bottom Sharing & Permissions section checked or unchecked?

I don't see that. This is what is shows in GetInfo:

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/7327/picture1lml.th.png (http://img408.imageshack.us/i/picture1lml.png/)

Next I'd run find /Volumes/Backup -name '*.sparsebundle' in a Terminal shell to find the .sparsebundle pathname(s), e.g.:

% find /Volumes/Backup -name '*.sparsebundle'
/Volumes/Backup/eMac/Macintosh HD@lovelight.sparsebundle
/Volumes/Backup/iMac/Media@halo.sparsebundle
/Volumes/Backup/iMac/Users@halo.sparsebundle

After you've found one that's causing SD! trouble you can run ls -dl /Volume/Backup/path/to/file.sparsebundle to view its permissions. And if you open the folder it's in then try opening the actual .sparsebundle (by double-clicking it) you'll get an error if it's a permissions problem (like I suspect).

Sorry I don't have an instant answer/solution. The info I'm asking for helps analyze and understand the cause of the problem before moving further.

SD! isn't creating any sparsebundles at all, almost as if it doesn't have permission to do so, but it should. The backup folder is empty, short of a trashbox.

[djc]

Are you able to create a sparse bundle on that volume with Disk Utility?

No. Interesting...

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/8170/picture1mct.th.png (http://img33.imageshack.us/i/picture1mct.png/)

[dnanian]

Right. That's the problem. When you fix it so you can create a sparse bundle with Disk Utility, SuperDuper! will work too...

[sjk]

Could it be that volume isn't being shared with enough permission?

[dnanian]

That'd be my guess.

[djc]

Not sure why that is. I can create a sparsebundle on my desktop then drag it to 'Backup' and it copies just fine...

?

[sjk]

I can create a sparsebundle on my desktop then drag it to 'Backup' and it copies just fine...
That's because when it's created on Desktop it has enough permission to be copied to /Volumes/Backup, but that volume itself doesn't have enough permission for the sparse bundle to be created directly on it.

If you run this command in a Terminal shell:

sudo touch /Volumes/Backup/deleteme

… my guess is it'll return this error:

touch: /Volumes/Backup/deleteme: Permission denied

I don't know what to suggest so authenticated apps like SD! and Disk Utility will have the access they need to it; sorry.

[djc]

I see.

Well I tried what you suggested and it asked me for a password. Now If I can just figure out why...

[sjk]

Try your login password. If the command doesn't produce an error then run (exactly):

sudo rm /Volumes/Backup/deleteme

… to delete the file that sudo rm /Volumes/Backup/deleteme would have created. Just be careful with sudo because it runs commands using extra privileges. Don't run it if you don't feel confident enough or don't trust me… but I've been using it for 30 years. :)

[djc]

i entered my mac login password at the prompt and 'deleteme' was created on the share. I assume this is correct. Why Disk Utility/SD! seem to error out is odd. I removed all access restrictions on the share (anyone can r/w) and it still fails.

[sjk]

Hmm. I'm out of ideas for tonight.

[djc]

Thanks for all of your help anyway! :)

[jmwilder]

Thanks for all of your help anyway! :)

I'll second that. I haven't had a chance to look into this further, but I will try out some of the suggestions tonight and report back.

[madom]

Hi

I'm having the same Problem. SD! is can't mount the Sparsebundle on my NAS anymore, since upgrading to 10.6 and 2.6.1 - I can't create a sparsebundle with disk utility either, so this seems to be a Snow Leopard Issue?

Could be related to this: http://forum.synology.com/enu/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=16917

Any further help would be appreciated.

[dnanian]

Could be... very hard to say. But we're not going to be able to work if DU can't, because we're actually using Disk Utility to create and mount the image.

[madom]

OK, but it seems definetely to be a general error that came with Snow Leopard. We all have different NAS (mine is a Synology DS107+).

Is there anyone who doesn't have a Problem with 10.6 & NAS & sparsebundle?

[dnanian]

Yes, me, using a ReadyNAS and a ReadyNAS Pro. Works just fine.

[jmwilder]

This post in the Apple discussions board seems like it might be related.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10085116�

Incidentally, I tried to create the sparsebundle on the NAS using Disk Utility and received the same error as djc.

From the disk utility log:

2009-08-31 19:02:59 -0400: Creating Image “test.sparsebundle”
2009-08-31 19:02:59 -0400: Initializing…
2009-08-31 19:02:59 -0400: Creating…
2009-08-31 19:02:59 -0400: Formatting…
2009-08-31 19:03:00 -0400: Finishing…
2009-08-31 19:03:01 -0400: Unable to create “test.sparsebundle.” (Operation not supported)

[djc]

as an FYI, I am not running 10.6, I'm running 10.5.8, so this isn't an isolated SL issue.

I did update the firmware on my NAS which now has a Time Machine feature. TM now see's my NAS as a TC and I was able to backup, but haven't tested SD! yet.

[trainbuffer]

I'm getting the same error.

Using SD 2.6.1 on 10.6.1 backing up to a debian machine (ext3) running Netatalk and set up for Time Machine.

The first image from SD seems to run through fine, but when running a SD scheduled Smart Update, I get the error.

Anyone find out what error is?

[chill903]

I'm on 10.5.8, but I've been having the exact same problem:

| 08:14:56 PM | Info | ...ACTION: Mounting Upstairs iMac Archive
| 08:14:56 PM | Info | ......COMMAND => Preparing Upstairs iMac Archive
| 08:15:08 PM | Info | hdiutil: create failed - Operation not supported
| 08:15:08 PM | Error | ****FAILED****: result=256 errno=22 (Unknown error: 0)

It's been going on for weeks, and I can't find a way to get a sparsebundle to mount. (Running a Thecus 5200 NAS. I've attached via SMB and AFP, and neither will allow me to mount a sparsebundle in order to back up my machine.)

I have been using SuperDuper! and this NAS for two years, but it is just in the last month or so that I cannot get it to work.

[dnanian]

Switch to a sparse image instead of a sparse bundle.

[gman]

So, sparse bundles don't work at all?

[dnanian]

Sparse bundles work fine if the NAS fully supports up-to-date AFP.