best-use-practices scheduled backups

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Hello!


I have some questions regarding best-use-practices using scheduled backups.

On my iMac I have two users: an admin-user and a normal user.

Until now I've used only the admin-user to start the SuperDuper!-backups.
Before doing this I've logged off as a normal user in order to avoid any conflicts due to open applications or files.

I have scheduled the backups to run every night and everything is ok AS LONG AS I DO NOT FORGET TO LOG OFF AS NORMAL USER BEFORE.

But once in a while I do forget and then the scheduled backup will not start.

Is there a way to ensure that

1.- The normal user will log-off at least shortly before the scheduled backup...

2.- .. the admin-user will log-in shortly before the scheduled backup...

3.- ... the backup will run at the given time...

4.- ... the admin-user will then log-off and...

5.- ... the normal-user will log-in

so that in the morning I will find everything as I left it in the evening and the scheduled backup runs every night?

Thanks!


Kind regards,
Vlad Ghitulescu

[dnanian]

I don't know a way to script that, no.

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Hello, David!


Thank you for your quick reply!

That's bad news...

Would you recommend starting the daily-SuperDuper!-Backup as normal user?

I could quit before all the open apps via KeyboardMaestro / AppleScript, but there will be for sure much more processes open in the background (Hazel, DefaultFolderX, Witch, Dropbox, Crashplan, Textexpander, KeyboardManager Engine, etc.) than as admin-user.


Kind regards,
Vlad

[dnanian]

You can schedule it under either user and just have it run whichever one is logged in, Vlad. The types of apps you're running shouldn't affect it (at least what you've listed here). You wouldn't want to run Entourage, VMware, Parallels, etc.

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Hi, David!


That's good news! :-)

I will schedule then the backups from the normal (non-admin) user-account and quit all the apps via KeyboardMaestro / AppleScript shortly before the scheduled backup.

The applications from the background are right now:

- BetterTouchTool
- BusyCal(Agent)
- Hazel
- TextExpander
- Dropbox
- DefaultFolder X
- SpyderUtility (for color-calibration)
- CrashPlan
- HoudahSpot
- Eve
- KeyboardMaestro (Engine)
- BetterSnap Tool
- WacomTabletDriver
- f.lux
- LittleSnitch

That's the complete list, I hope there's no show-stopper! :-)

Thanks again!


Regards,
Vlad

[dnanian]

You should be fine. Do allow our upgrade check through Little Snitch, of course.

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

It's already allowed.
I have set everything (KBM & scheduled Backup) for 3 am tomorrow. We will see...

Until then,
Vlad

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Good morning!


It didn't work.

In the morning I have found SuperDuper! open and a Warning-window saying something like:

"Choose 'Start' to start this script or 'Quit' to quit it.

(I translate it from german)

Unfortunately I couldn't choose any button at all... I wasn't able to move this window, not even after closing SuperDuper! (the only app opened). I had to log-off.

After loging in I scheduled the backup in the next 2 minutes and it run, so I don't know what went wrong. I also didn't have a log to look for it, because the night-scheduled backup didn't run.

I have scheduled again the backup for 3 am and will check this again tomorrow.


Regards,
Vlad

[dnanian]

That generally indicates a problem with the AppleScript subsystem - the schedule script is compiled to not prompt on run, so if it is prompting, you have a system issue. If it cleared itself, perhaps a temporary one...

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

This is strange, the iMac is not even 1 month old (is a new 27" iMac, late 2012).

What can I do?

[dnanian]

Nothing yet. Let's see what happens.

(This is sometimes caused by a corrupt com.apple.applescript plist...)

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Good morning!


The scheduled Backup was ok last night - success! :-)

Thanks again!


Regards,
Vlad

[dnanian]

Great! Congratulations!

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Hello!


It was to early :-): the last two nights the backup didn't started. The same error message ("Choose Start to ...") occurred, with the same behavior.

Do you have some advice how to get rid of this in order to let SuperDuper! start the scheduled backup?

Thanks!


Regards,
Vlad

[dnanian]

As I said, this is a problem with your system. You can try removing the com.apple.applescript.* files, which might help; repairing permissions or, as a last resort, reinstalling the OS.

[Vlad Ghitulescu]

Hello, David!


I'll repair the permission and delete also the two com.apple.applescript.*-files that I've found:

/Users/Vlad/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpd/SDMHelpData/AppleExtra/German/HelpSDMIndexFile/com.apple.AppleScript.help

and

/Users/Vlad/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpd/Generated/com.apple.AppleScript.help

I hope, this will help - I'm not so keen to reinstall the OS.

I will report the results.

Thank you again!


Until then,
Vlad