When leopard hits...

[evanrousso]

Will all of my data have to be backed up and will my it reformat my drive?

[bobber205]

No. Thought it's never a bad idea.

Upgrading your OS is simple. Click install and sit back! :D

[Scottyk9]

Always a good idea to back up your data.
Always a good idea to back up your data.
Always a good idea to back up your data.

OS X installs give you several options, many of which will leave all your files / preferences in place, and does not require a reformat of your hard drive.

[bep207]

perhaps with time machine, the first option will be BACK UP! then lets install

[Nermal]

After the disastrous Tiger upgrade I'm going to be formatting anyway, but it's not a necessity.

[mad jew]

Yeah, it's not technically a necessity but to be honest, it almost is. I tried upgrading to Tiger without reformatting and ended up going back a month later, reformatting and reinstalling from scratch. I think major OS updates such as this are one time when a reformat and install is a good thing. :)

[SMM]

After the disastrous Tiger upgrade I'm going to be formatting anyway, but it's not a necessity.

What disastrous upgrade? I upgraded 11 computers without a single issue. They included PB's, Mini's, iMacs and PM's.

[bep207]

when you do reformat, how do you ensure that all of your data and preferences get put back in place after you install

[livingfortoday]

perhaps with time machine, the first option will be BACK UP! then lets install

It is, actually, in the preview screen shots I've seen of Leopard.

[dukebound85]

if you do a clean install does the install discs of tiger for intel let you reload all the software that originally came on say my macbook?

if so how would i go about putting them on there?

[spicyapple]

Reformat the hard drive before I upgrade to Leopard. This gives me the opportunity to re-evaluate which programs I install so I don't clutter up my hard drive with rarely used apps.

[mad jew]

when you do reformat, how do you ensure that all of your data and preferences get put back in place after you install


That depends how have everything backed up. I actually find it quite therapeutic to reconfigure all my apps and settings manually but some people prefer to just dump their old preferences back in the equivalent spot on the new install. Of course, then you run the risk that the preferences won't be compatible with the newer OS.

In short, I reload my data (music, movies, documents et cetera) from backup and then use .Mac to resync my iCal, Address Book and Mail.


if you do a clean install does the install discs of tiger for intel let you reload all the software that originally came on say my macbook?

if so how would i go about putting them on there?


Nah, you have to reload the other software from the bundled discs because they're not included with regular retail versions of the OS. Usually this is simply a case of inserting the disc and doing a custom install of some of the apps but sometimes you need an app like Pacifist (http://www.charlessoft.com/) to find certain app's installer packages. :)

[jhu]

Will all of my data have to be backed up and will my it reformat my drive?

if apple completely replaces ufs+ with zfs (which they might do) then yes, unless they give the option of either non-destructively converting the user's filesystem from ufs+ to zfs or allowing the user to use ufs+

[kainjow]

If Leopard fully supports ZFS, I'm 100% backing up my drive and reformatting with ZFS. :D

[mad jew]

Just out of interest, what are the main benefits of ZFS?

[kainjow]

Just out of interest, what are the main benefits of ZFS?
ZFS: Ten reasons to reformat your hard drives (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1446/zfs_ten_reasons_to_reformat_your_hard_drives)

[tvguru]

Just out of interest, what are the main benefits of ZFS?

A quick search yielded this result: http://www.sun.com/2004-0914/feature/ I think that may be what you're looking for.

Edit: Previous link looks better.

[mad jew]

Perfect, thanks to both of you. It'll be sad to see fsck go though... :p

[bobber205]

ZFS: Ten reasons to reformat your hard drives (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1446/zfs_ten_reasons_to_reformat_your_hard_drives)

Wow.

Technology sometimes gives me goosebumps...

ZFS = one of those times.

[nightelf]

I always backup and format when installing a new system, just to avoid any possible conflict. It also helps me clean some old files that I no longer need or want.

[gauchogolfer]

ZFS: Ten reasons to reformat your hard drives (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1446/zfs_ten_reasons_to_reformat_your_hard_drives)

10. Clones with no ethical issues


The simple creation of snapshots and clones of filesystems makes living with ZFS so much more enjoyable. A snapshot is a read-only point-in-time copy of a filesystem which takes practically no time to create and uses no additional space at the beginning. Any snapshot can be cloned to make a read-write filesystem and any snapshot of a filesystem can be restored to the original filesystem to return to the previous state. Snapshots can be written to other storage (disk, tape), transferred to another system, and converted back into a filesystem.


Do you think this is how Time Machine is going to be implemented?

[bigandy]

isn't ZFS' snapshot just a better backend for time machine?

:rolleyes:

[sunfast]

ZFS: Ten reasons to reformat your hard drives (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1446/zfs_ten_reasons_to_reformat_your_hard_drives)

God, that looks sweet. How likely are we to get ZFS in Leopard?

[kainjow]

Do you think this is how Time Machine is going to be implemented?
I wouldn't be surprised. I bet at least some part of Time Machine uses ZFS.

[ChickenSwartz]

perhaps with time machine, the first option will be BACK UP! then lets install

You install then time machine takes you back in time to the point before the upgrade to back everything up before you install Leopard, genius.

[jhu]

there are rumors that dtrace will make it into 10.5 too. so, when the hell is apple going to buy sun and scoop up the rest of their innovations?

[kainjow]

when the hell is apple going to buy sun and scoop up the rest of their innovations?
Like Java? :p

[dropscience]

Isn't that the same as SYSTEM RESTORE POINTS in Windows XP?


You install then time machine takes you back in time to the point before the upgrade to back everything up before you install Leopard, genius.

[Krevnik]

I wouldn't be surprised. I bet at least some part of Time Machine uses ZFS.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. ZFS was a /rumor/, and Apple does not use any of the technology ANYWHERE in Time Machine. I could go on for paragraphs on how it does work, but I think I already commented on how Time Machine works in another thread. (If it sounds like I am annoying, I am trying to be... so don't take offense. ;))

Although, yes... you can use Time Machine to backup your drive BEFORE you install Leopard, and you can use Time Machine to restore the entire HDD from the install disc as well (if your primary HDD does die and need to be replaced). It uses some pretty inventive trickery to do the incremental backups though, but it is all something you can technically do on Tiger right now.

Isn't that the same as SYSTEM RESTORE POINTS in Windows XP?

Yes and no. Windows has a lot of different mechanisms that all have some level of shared purpose. You have Shadow Copy (aka Previous Versions) which backs up your changes to files so you can revert back, you have system restore points which backs up your device driver information so you can revert back if drivers cause issues (it doesn't back up the whole system), and you have backup tools which backup your whole drive or data in case your drive dies. Three tools that all intend to protect you from bad changes.

With Leopard, you have Time Machine which does all three at the same time, since you can backup the entire HDD, you get backup. Incremental backups help with the same functions that restore points provide, as well as having the ability to back up your changes (at least to a particular level, such as every day).