What is Error 7 (Argument list too long)?
 

and how can I get around it? It is causing my backup job to abort.

Details: I am trying to run a full backup of my MBPro in Target Disk mode, from my Mini -- Firewire connected. SD runs for a bit over 2 hrs. and then gives to this set of messages and terminates the backup:

| 08:46:33 PM | Info | Unable to write extended attribute com.apple.cs.CodeSignature to target file /Volumes/MacMine-ALLfiles-MBP2007/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/launcher due to error: 7, Argument list too long
| 08:46:33 PM | Info | Unable to copy extended attributes from /Volumes/MacMine/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/launcher to /Volumes/MacMine-ALLfiles-MBP2007/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/launcher
| 08:46:33 PM | Error | SDCopy: Error copying /Volumes/MacMine/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/launcher to /Volumes/MacMine-ALLfiles-MBP2007/Applications/Parallels Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/launcher of type 8 due to error 7: Argument list too long

I find it odd that SD is looking inside an application package at all. It has not done that in the past, on any of the machines that have Parallels Desktop installed. Is there something special about running SD to backup a Firewire-connected system?

It's because you're copying 10.7.5 or later with some earlier version of the OS...

Hmmm ... so you are saying that I cannot create a backup of a Mt. Lion system from a system running Snow Leopard?

I have MB Pro that can no longer boot on its on (and therefore cannot run SD to do its own backup), but I can still access the MBP hard drive in Target Disk mode from my Mini.

Is there some way that I can create a full SD backup of the MBPro system? I was able to successfully run a "User Files only" backup from my Mini but I'd like to get a full backup, so that I can use that with Setup/Migration Assistant when the new MBP arrives. Any suggestions?

Correct. If you think about it, you'll recognize that 10.6 doesn't know about what changes Apple would make in the future, so you can't copy 10.7/8/9/etc.

Can you boot from the MBP in Target mode from the mini? If so, you can copy it from the actual drive. Make sense?

No ... unless you're saying that I could connect the Mini (10.6) and the MBPro (10.8) via Firewire, boot the Mini holding down the option key, and then select the MBP as the boot system and actually be running 10.8 (and all the MBP apps) on the Mini? Hmmm, can I do that?!? I'd then be executing SD in the app library on the MBP ... but I would also need to be able to access the external hard drive (USB, connected to the Mini), where I write the disk image. If that's possible it makes my head spin. :eek:

Here's the situation. I have a Mini running 10.6. I have a 'dead' MBP running 10.8. I can connect them via Firewire, with the MBP as the target drive. The MBP is 'dead' in that its GPU has died (the "black screen"). So it cannot boot, but all the files on the hard drive are still intact.

I was hoping to be able to create a full system disk image of that MBP hard drive. But perhaps I won't need to if, when the new MBP arrives next week, I can connect it directly to the old MBP via Firewire and then run Setup Assistant to get the applications (et al) onto the new computer. Does it make more sense to wait and try it that way?

Right, I'm saying put the MBP into FireWire target mode, then select that disk as the startup disk in the startup disk preference pane. The mini should boot from it, and the USB drive should be fine, you can then copy to it. See what I mean?

Amazing!!!! worked like a charm! This time the SD full backup ran to completion. It wasn't even particularly slow (another surprise, given that it was running through a FW connection on an aged Mini!) A big thanks - this saved our bacon!!

Great! I'm glad things worked as expected. It's a little weird, I know, but it makes sense when you think about it!