Symlinks

[LarryMcJ]

If I want to include files or folders in my User Backup that are not physically located in the /Users folders, can I add Symlinks to the /Users folder...and will they be also backed up? Thanks.

Larry

[dnanian]

No, we'd just copy the link, not the content that was linked to. Where are these folders located?

[LarryMcJ]

I didn't have anyplace specific in mind...it was just a question. I do try to keep everything of importance in my /Users folder, but as the admin and only user of this machine, there are probably some files in my computer/library folder I'd like to preserve.

I'm probably being paranoid...I use Time Machine, plus SuperDuper! to backup my user folder every day (but they go to the same external drive), plus Dropbox for the super-critical items. Several catastrophic data losses over the past 20 years have made me more cautious.

Larry

[dnanian]

Well - I'd really suggest a "Backup - all files", Larry. That way you can be sure to have everything.

[LarryMcJ]

I'd thought about that but figured the "Evaluating Files" part of the backup might take a lot of time. Once the initial backup is done and considering there is very little change each day, how long would this take? I have about 800K files and 30 GB.

Larry

[dnanian]

12 minutes? Less? It doesn't take that long.

[LarryMcJ]

It might take me a bit longer than as I'm on USB 2.0 with one of the new WD Passport Studio drives...I'll try it and find out. Why Apple didn't put a Firewire port on the new MacBooks is still a mystery to me and mine is shut on my desk 24/7 so I couldn't justify the extra expense for the Pro.

Larry

[dnanian]

Shouldn't be that bad, really. And it's a small price to pay...

[LarryMcJ]

Agree. BTW, if I "Backup All Files" I hope they'll be in one main folder on the external drive?

Larry

[dnanian]

The external drive will be a copy of the internal drive. That's what SuperDuper! does... so, they'll be in the same location on the external as they are on the internal.

[LarryMcJ]

Dave,

Then that won't work for me...it's not what I want. I understand that SuperSuper! backs up everything...but it's not what I want. The primary data that I want to never ever lose again is my /Users data, and I have that covered by TM, a Backup-Users with SuperDuper! and another synchronized copy to Dropbox. What I want is a way to do a synchronized backup, on my timetable (or some reasonable timetable, like every hour) of the files "I" choose to be backed up.

I realize you have the best rated backup software on the planet for Mac, but I don't get what it buys me outside Time Machine WRT to a complete backup? I understand it's bootable, etc, but with TM it's a pretty brainless restore...I've done it three times now changing to new computers. When I first purchased SuperDuper! Time Machine wasn't on the market yet, and then I saw the need. What am I missing?

Larry

[dnanian]

Take a look at the Time's Arrow post at the blog, Larry.

[LarryMcJ]

Maybe I need to fire up the Starbucks machine....I can't find what you're wanting me to read. I know where the blog is and the NY Times link I click on there just takes me to the NY Times where there is a link back to you.

Larry

[LarryMcJ]

Found it...reading now.

Larry

[LarryMcJ]

Dave,

I think it's a perspective issue on my end. Before I explain, understand that when I first purchased SD I was a working geek and dotcom owner and time was the most precious commodity I had.

Now, I'm retired, have lots of time, love to still play around in the space but the pressure of losing valuable company data isn't there. Thus, I can afford to rebuild my machine and lose the few hours it takes to restore all the apps, if necessary....as long as my /Users data is preserved.

That said, for me it's still easier to just reinstall Leopard and turn on TM, tweak a couple of printer drivers when it's done and you're set. Yes, I realize I wouldn't even have to tweak those printer drivers if I was booting from SD on my Passport drive :-)

Which brings me to the hardware issue. I'm currently trying to simplify my life, so I went from two iMacs and a MacBook Pro to a unibody MacBook with 24" LED Cinema Display, so everything resides in one place and I have only one portable hard drive so I can travel with it. To utilize SD as it should be, I'd have to have a second portable hard drive (not a $ issue but goes against my new KIS principle)...as SD can't backup to a partition on that one drive (or so it told me when I tried to do just that last week).

All this said...you still have the number one Mac backup solution in world, and I've recommended it many times...and still use it, albeit just in the Backup - User mode. I just think where it truly excels doesn't fit me anymore as I don't need to have access to everything immediately if there's a catastrophic failure. Part of that KIS thing was moving my personal and family life to Google Apps, so the worry of email and personal websites is also obviated.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but just wanted you to know where I was coming from in how I was trying to "currently" use SD. BTW, the Mac shareware community doesn't realize just how lucky they are to have developers like you, who take the time to respond and talk to their customers. I think many others in the Mac space do that as well, but I spent 15 years in the Windows shareware promotion business and worked with hundreds of developers on a daily basis, of which only a handful truly cared as much about their users as you do. Thanks :-)

Larry