iphthime ([info]iphthime) wrote,
@ 2009-01-08 22:55:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
rsync on the Mac: Updating your backup
$ rsync -Eav /Users/MyPreciousData/ /Volume/ExternalDrive/BackupOfMyPreciousData/

-E preserves Mac-specific filesystem stuff
-a preserves stuff like file creation time
-v verbose, tells you what is going on

Do not forget the trailing slash on the first argument "/Users/MyPreciousData/". Otherwise it will create a new "MyPreciousData" directory on the backup drive, instead of syncing to the original backup. This can eat up all your disk space fast.

You can get a lot more sophisticated with rsync (Google rsync backup Mac) but those are the basics.

(Post a new comment)

New Year's Resolution was to back up your data, eh? :)
(Anonymous)
2009-01-09 05:08 pm UTC (link)
I didn't know about the -E switch. I looked around but I couldn't actually figure out what it did. (*reads talk of "forks"* *eyes glaze over*)

I use the -z switch to compress the files during transfer; I haven't tested it to see if that makes it go faster; I just do it because this is the way I was taught to do it. ;)

I've been backing up to an old iPod. I stopped using it to listen to music because it freaked out every once in a while with disk errors (also because the orange Shuffle went on sale, and I am a sucker for all things oarnge). I never lost any data on the old iPod though, and I'm hoping that I can squeeze some more useful life on it by leaving it in a desk drawer instead of taking it running with me.

But really, external drives are so cheap, I really ought to drop some startup funds on one.

—Britt

(Reply to this) (Thread)
Re: New Year's Resolution was to back up your data, eh? :)
[info]iphthime
2009-01-19 06:10 pm UTC (link)

In fact this may have been the vicarious result of someone *else's* resolution -- they asked me a question about backing up, and that triggered the "hey, look, it's time to update my backups". :-)

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…