Took the Plunge, Now Have Questions...

[JoelBC]

I am a long time and very comfortable Windows user....

I am in need of a new laptop as I can longer use one laptop for both business purposes and personal purposes...I debated whether to get a Windows ultrabook or try a MacBook...I have done a lot of reading and decided for the first time in my life to give Apple a try...

I ordered a MBA with an i7 / 8GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD...I will need to run Parallels [or some other VM] as I do have some Windows applications that I can not avoid using...

I would appreciate answers to the following items:

1. Backup

I am fairly comfortable with Windows programming and have written a number of small application...one of the most useful such applications is a simple bat file which when combined with Window's Task Manager automatically backups critical folders on my hard drive.

Is there a simple way to replicate this functionality is OS X...is there an easy way to do this OR is this best done through learning AppleScript or other?


2. Case

I am fanatical about keeping everything I own in "like new" shape and with that....is a case / shell a good idea [or, does it create cooling issues] and, if yes, which is best / recommended.


3. PDF

I am going to try to use native Mac apps to the greatest extent possible and would therefore like to know what is the Mac application that is closes to Adobe Acrobat as I need an application for password protecting PDF files, etc.


4. NTFS Drives

I will need to read / write to my existing NTFS formatted drives and, in particular, my NAS drive...what is the best application for this purpose, is it Paragon's NTFS for MAC



5. Time Machine

I will be using -- at least that is the current plan -- Time Machine for backup purposes and was wondering whether it is possible to use Time Machine with an NTFS formatted drive which is AFP compliant.



6. Update

I noticed that Apple has released a V2.0 update for all 2012 laptops...how do I check whether I need to install this update?



7. VPN

I will need to connect to a Cisco SA...I was able to do so with iOS 6's built in VPN app which was Cisco clients...is there a similar app in OS 10.8?


And, if there is anything else that I should be aware of know please add it to your response....thanks for reading this post and for responding.


Joel

[stridemat]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

I am a long time and very comfortable Windows user....

I am in need of a new laptop as I can longer use one laptop for both business purposes and personal purposes...I debated whether to get a Windows ultrabook or try a MacBook...I have done a lot of reading and decided for the first time in my life to give Apple a try...

I ordered a MBA with an i7 / 8GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD...I will need to run Parallels [or some other VM] as I do have some Windows applications that I can not avoid using...

I would appreciate answers to the following items:

1. Backup

I am fairly comfortable with Windows programming and have written a number of small application...one of the most useful such applications is a simple bat file which when combined with Window's Task Manager automatically backups critical folders on my hard drive.

Is there a simple way to replicate this functionality is OS X...is there an easy way to do this OR is this best done through learning AppleScript or other?
Have you looked at the Time Machine functionally which is built into OS X.


2. Case

I am fanatical about keeping everything I own in "like new" shape and with that....is a case / shell a good idea [or, does it create cooling issues] and, if yes, which is best / recommended.
No idea. I wouldn't see the need for a case while it's on a desk / coffee table. When taking it out and about then I always found a sleeve was good.

3. PDF

I am going to try to use native Mac apps to the greatest extent possible and would therefore like to know what is the Mac application that is closes to Adobe Acrobat as I need an application for password protecting PDF files, etc.
I'm not sure, but a quick search seems to suggest it's built in.


4. NTFS Drives

I will need to read / write to my existing NTFS formatted drives and, in particular, my NAS drive...what is the best application for this purpose, is it Paragon's NTFS for MAC
That's what I use and have never had any problems. There are some free alternatives, but I am not sure about the compatibility with Mountain Lion.



5. Time Machine

I will be using -- at least that is the current plan -- Time Machine for backup purposes and was wondering whether it is possible to use Time Machine with an NTFS formatted drive which is
I don't think it will work, but it's worth a try.


6. Update

I noticed that Apple has released a V2.0 update for all 2012 laptops...how do I check whether I need to install this update?
Click the Apple icon in the top right of your screen. Click check for update. The Mac App Store should open and search for any updates.

7. VPN

I will need to connect to a Cisco SA...I was able to do so with iOS 6's built in VPN app which was Cisco clients...is there a similar app in OS 10.8?

Don't know. I only use the built in VPN capabilities.


And, if there is anything else that I should be aware of know please add it to your response....thanks for reading this post and for responding.


Joel

See responses in red above.

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by stridemat

See responses in red above.

Appreciate the response...two quick follow ups:


1. Backups

I am looking to write a small application / script that backups specific folders to a USB thumb drive or portable drive without any compression...is this possible in TimeMachine?


2. PDF

I will give Preview a try but is it compatible with files that have been PDF password protected files using Adobe Acrobat?

Thanks,

Joel

[SuperJudge]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

Appreciate the response...two quick follow ups:


1. Backups

I am looking to write a small application / script that backups specific folders to a USB thumb drive or portable drive without any compression...is this possible in TimeMachine?


2. PDF

I will give Preview a try but is it compatible with files that have been PDF password protected files using Adobe Acrobat?

Thanks,

Joel

1. You'll probably want to write up a shell script using rsync and then either pipe it through cron or set it up as a .plist file that gets fed into launchd. Both routes are a bit of a hassle to get set up initially, but are rock solid once they work properly. I can provide some guidance on this if necessary.

2. I believe that it is. I have opened password protected PDFs with it in the past, but I don't know if they were created with Adobe initially.

[murphychris]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

1. Backup
Is there a simple way to replicate this functionality is OS X...is there an easy way to do this OR is this best done through learning AppleScript or other?

The closest thing to a bat file is to create a bash script, and assign it to launchd to run on a schedule you can define. The old way of doing this is to assign the bash script to cron, but I think this still works.

3. PDF
I am going to try to use native Mac apps to the greatest extent possible and would therefore like to know what is the Mac application that is closes to Adobe Acrobat as I need an application for password protecting PDF files, etc.

Use Acrobat Reader? It supports forms, signing, etc. Preview does prompt for a password for password protected PDFs, but the extent of its ability to manipulate PDFs is limited compared to Acrobat Reader which is free.

4. NTFS Drives
I will need to read / write to my existing NTFS formatted drives and, in particular, my NAS drive...what is the best application for this purpose, is it Paragon's NTFS for MAC.

For DAS that's NTFS formatted, you'd need a Paragon or Tuxera offering.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/paragon...eview-rewards/

For NAS, the file system doesn't matter as it's offered up to OS X as either CIFS, AFP or NFS.

5. Time Machine
I will be using -- at least that is the current plan -- Time Machine for backup purposes and was wondering whether it is possible to use Time Machine with an NTFS formatted drive which is AFP compliant.

If the NTFS volume is made available via NAS over AFP then Time Machine will create a disk image file containing an independent JHFSX filesystem, onto which your backup will exist. Time Machine will not backup to NTFS formatted DAS. To support Time Machine to a 3rd party NAS, you need to make sure the version of AFP it's using is up to date (netatalk 2.2.3 or better).

7. VPN
I will need to connect to a Cisco SA...I was able to do so with iOS 6's built in VPN app which was Cisco clients...is there a similar app in OS 10.8?

If the built-in VPN support is inadequate you should look at IPSecuritas.

And, if there is anything else that I should be aware of know please add it to your response....thanks for reading this post and for responding.

I agree with the use of VM for Windows support. Boot Camp is irritating. If you do go down that road, plan your partitioning well because there are no resizing tools provided by Apple. You'd need a 3rd party resizing tool, or an excessive amount of knowledge of both GPT and hybrid MBRs to negotiate the multi-step process to do this yourself.[/QUOTE]

[JoelBC]

First, thank-you for your response as they are both appreciated and very helpful....a few follow ups which hopefully you will not mind...

Originally Posted by murphychris

The closest thing to a bat file is to create a bash script, and assign it to launchd to run on a schedule you can define. The old way of doing this is to assign the bash script to cron, but I think this still works.

A little help please as I am entirely new to Mac despite being very seasoned and very comfortable with Windows...

Although I will Google "Bash Script" could you i) please elaborate on the language, syntax, difficulty, etc. and ii) please confirm that launcher is essentially Mac's version of Task Manager?

Originally Posted by murphychris

Use Acrobat Reader? It supports forms, signing, etc. Preview does prompt for a password for password protected PDFs, but the extent of its ability to manipulate PDFs is limited compared to Acrobat Reader which is free.

And that is one of the points, I needed the power of Adobe Acrobat which is more powerful that Adobe Reader...the other point is that I could use Adobe Acrobat in my VM but, as noted elsewhere, I am trying to use as many native Mac applications as possible.

Originally Posted by murphychris

For DAS that's NTFS formatted, you'd need a Paragon or Tuxera offering.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/paragon...eview-rewards/

For NAS, the file system doesn't matter as it's offered up to OS X as either CIFS, AFP or NFS.

Looks as though a copy of NTFS for Mac is in my future...

Originally Posted by murphychris

If the NTFS volume is made available via NAS over AFP then Time Machine will create a disk image file containing an independent JHFSX filesystem, onto which your backup will exist. Time Machine will not backup to NTFS formatted DAS. To support Time Machine to a 3rd party NAS, you need to make sure the version of AFP it's using is up to date (netatalk 2.2.3 or better).

I am fairly certain that the AFP is current as the AFP was added through a firmware update as the time of Lion's release principally to allow Mac connectivity.

I am somewhat confused about the first sentence above...I would appreciate you expanding on how the creation of a disk image containing an independent JHFSX file system is different / same from how TimeMachine would normally operate.

Originally Posted by murphychris

If the built-in VPN support is inadequate you should look at IPSecuritas.

Thanks, presumably IPSecuritas is Cisco friendly.

Originally Posted by murphychris

I agree with the use of VM for Windows support. Boot Camp is irritating. If you do go down that road, plan your partitioning well because there are no resizing tools provided by Apple. You'd need a 3rd party resizing tool, or an excessive amount of knowledge of both GPT and hybrid MBRs to negotiate the multi-step process to do this yourself.

I have decided against Boot Camp not only because I have no desire to boot and reboot but I also figured that i) backup and maintenance is easier in the VM world in that TimeMachine will back up the VM machine's virtual disk which means everything can be backed up and once and ii) there are fewer / no disk partition or other related issues.


Thanks for the help,


Joel

[SuperJudge]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

Although I will Google "Bash Script" could you i) please elaborate on the language, syntax, difficulty, etc. and ii) please confirm that launcher is essentially Mac's version of Task Manager?

i) It's shell script and will use either sh or bash syntax. I recommend bash syntax since it gets you more functionality and you probably won't be too worried about portability. If you've done .bat files before, you shouldn't have too much trouble picking up bash scripting. I'll even give you some examples to get you started.

Here's a sample rsync script:

#!/bin/bash
#rsync.sh - A simple backup script
rsync -a /Users/$USERNAME/Documents/ /Volumes/ThumbDrive/BackupFolder/

The basic syntax of rsync is: rsync -OPTIONS SOURCE DESTINATION

The switch of -a gets you the Archive option, which is a shortcut that preserves permissions, timestamps and the like. Of course you replace $USERNAME as appropriate and the backup destination will change based on your specific machine, but you get the idea. Don't forget to chmod +x your script from the CLI!

Unfortunately, launchd is a bit more complicated than Task Scheduler as there's no GUI included in the OS. There's Lingon, but I've never used it. It's highly regarded, though, and it's by the same guy that made Smultron, so I imagine it's pretty good. Here are some directions for creating a .plist file to talk to launchd.

First, construct your .plist file. Here's an example that uses the script above.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
        <string>com.blah.rsync-trigger</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/bin/sh</string>
        <string>/path/to/rsync.sh</string>
    </array>
    <key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
        <dict>
        <key>Hour</key>
        <integer>3</integer>
        <key>Minute</key>
        <integer>35</integer>
</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

That sets up our script above to run every day 3:35am. It's inelegant as hell, but it does work like a champ.

Save that .plist in your ~/Library/LaunchAgents directory. Load it into launchd like this:

superjudge on mentalla on local [ 2.45, 2.46, 2.42 ]
(17:34:57) 206 /Users/superjudge % > launchctl load  Library/LaunchAgents/com.blah.rsync-trigger.plist

I realize that's a lot to dump all at once. Here are a few links you might find handy in your travels through POSIX land:
http://floppix.ccai.com/scripts1.html
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prog-Intro-HOWTO-2.html
http://www.haykranen.nl/2008/05/05/rsync/
https://developer.apple.com/library/...d.plist.5.html
http://alvinalexander.com/mac-os-x/l...lendarinterval

ii) Yes, launchd is roughly equivalent to Task Scheduler on Windows.

[MJL]

Good to try out the Apple platform, just keep an eye on temperature if you have long runs of high CPU utilisation. You may want to get smcfancontrol (OS X) to have different fan speed settings.

I am also very structured and use FBackup (under Windows, free) for my documents etc backups. If you do decide to run Windows under bootcamp then you can use Winclone for backing up the whole bootcamp partition (shareware, something like 20 USD from memory and worth it).
OS X is a different paradigm but if you persevere then you'll eventually get there.

At the moment I am trying to get Windows 8 loaded but the keyboard mapping is getting the better of me.... grr..... (and just bought another Mac mini).

Windows 8 is extremely frustrating and it is beyond me why people like it oh wait it must be this tablet thingy....

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by SuperJudge

i) It's shell script and will use either sh or bash syntax. I recommend bash syntax since it gets you more functionality and you probably won't be too worried about portability. If you've done .bat files before, you shouldn't have too much trouble picking up bash scripting. I'll even give you some examples to get you started.

Here's a sample rsync script:

#!/bin/bash
#rsync.sh - A simple backup script
rsync -a /Users/$USERNAME/Documents/ /Volumes/ThumbDrive/BackupFolder/

The basic syntax of rsync is: rsync -OPTIONS SOURCE DESTINATION

The switch of -a gets you the Archive option, which is a shortcut that preserves permissions, timestamps and the like. Of course you replace $USERNAME as appropriate and the backup destination will change based on your specific machine, but you get the idea. Don't forget to chmod +x your script from the CLI!

Unfortunately, launchd is a bit more complicated than Task Scheduler as there's no GUI included in the OS. There's Lingon, but I've never used it. It's highly regarded, though, and it's by the same guy that made Smultron, so I imagine it's pretty good. Here are some directions for creating a .plist file to talk to launchd.

First, construct your .plist file. Here's an example that uses the script above.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
        <string>com.blah.rsync-trigger</string>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/bin/sh</string>
        <string>/path/to/rsync.sh</string>
    </array>
    <key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
        <dict>
        <key>Hour</key>
        <integer>3</integer>
        <key>Minute</key>
        <integer>35</integer>
</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

That sets up our script above to run every day 3:35am. It's inelegant as hell, but it does work like a champ.

Save that .plist in your ~/Library/LaunchAgents directory. Load it into launchd like this:

superjudge on mentalla on local [ 2.45, 2.46, 2.42 ]
(17:34:57) 206 /Users/superjudge % > launchctl load  Library/LaunchAgents/com.blah.rsync-trigger.plist

I realize that's a lot to dump all at once. Here are a few links you might find handy in your travels through POSIX land:
http://floppix.ccai.com/scripts1.html
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prog-Intro-HOWTO-2.html
http://www.haykranen.nl/2008/05/05/rsync/
https://developer.apple.com/library/...d.plist.5.html
http://alvinalexander.com/mac-os-x/l...lendarinterval

ii) Yes, launchd is roughly equivalent to Task Scheduler on Windows.

Originally Posted by MJL

Good to try out the Apple platform, just keep an eye on temperature if you have long runs of high CPU utilisation. You may want to get smcfancontrol (OS X) to have different fan speed settings.

I am also very structured and use FBackup (under Windows, free) for my documents etc backups. If you do decide to run Windows under bootcamp then you can use Winclone for backing up the whole bootcamp partition (shareware, something like 20 USD from memory and worth it).
OS X is a different paradigm but if you persevere then you'll eventually get there.

At the moment I am trying to get Windows 8 loaded but the keyboard mapping is getting the better of me.... grr..... (and just bought another Mac mini).

Windows 8 is extremely frustrating and it is beyond me why people like it oh wait it must be this tablet thingy....

Thanks for all the help...

1. Backup

I will most definitely try the batch scripting as it seems like it will be useful to learn...I will, until I get proficient, use this application which I found on the web earlier today which seems to "do it all" [at least for my needs]...the url is
http://download.cnet.com/Backuplist/...2_4-93627.html

2. Windows 8

I have been using it for a while...it is one of the reasons why I am trying OS X...it is wonderful on a tablet but useless on a laptop as there is far too much clicking..to me, anyone staying with the windows platform need to either i) get something like Start 8 to make WIndows 8 like Windows 7 or ii) stick with Windows 7


Thanks to all,


Joel

[murphychris]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

Although I will Google "Bash Script" could you i) please elaborate on the language, syntax, difficulty, etc. and ii) please confirm that launcher is essentially Mac's version of Task Manager?

bash is a GNU shell, and is what's found on BSD and Linux systems. You might find it easier to just get Carbon Copy Cloner which includes the latest rsync (Apple's installed version is 2.6.9 from 2006; if you want to use the latest from upstream you can install Macports and build the current version yourself) and schedule your backups.

And that is one of the points, I needed the power of Adobe Acrobat which is more powerful that Adobe Reader...

OK then get Acrobat 10 or 11 from Adobe, there is a Mac version.

I am fairly certain that the AFP is current as the AFP was added through a firmware update as the time of Lion's release principally to allow Mac connectivity.

I'd make sure it's current, if you're going to rely on it for Time Machine backups over a network.

I am somewhat confused about the first sentence above...I would appreciate you expanding on how the creation of a disk image containing an independent JHFSX file system is different / same from how TimeMachine would normally operate.

Time Machine has three modes for the target location of backups: local (same file system), DAS and NAS. All three are normal. Local is used to maintain (temporary) backups when you're not connected to your usual backup destination, and are cleared to that destination when you reconnect. DAS is expected to be either JHFS+ or JHFSX in order to accept a Time Machine backup because each incremental backup behaves as if it were a full backup by using hardlinks to unchanged files instead of actually backing everything up every hour, other file systems aren't supported. DAS is the usual case for most users. NAS as destination causes Time Machine to write a sparse bundle disk image (a growable file system contained inside a file that also grows as the file system contained within it gets bigger) which is mounted locally only via AFP and used as the destination target.

Thanks, presumably IPSecuritas is Cisco friendly.

Dunno, you'll have to investigate.

I have decided against Boot Camp not only because I have no desire to boot and reboot but I also figured that i) backup and maintenance is easier in the VM world in that TimeMachine will back up the VM machine's virtual disk which means everything can be backed up and once and ii) there are fewer / no disk partition or other related issues.

Yes. I strongly advise you get the VM the way you want it, and from that point use snapshots within the VM so that changes to the virtual disk are made to a secondary file (the snapshot) rather than to the very large single monolithic virtual disk file. Otherwise, you end up with hourly backups of what's likely to be a 20+GB virtual disk file, even if only 10MB have changed. Alternatively, set in Time Machine, to ignore the VM virtual disk to exclude it from backups, and back it up with a different system (Carbon Copy Cloner, or rsync, or even cp from a bash file) where you keep fewer copies and less frequently done.

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by murphychris

bash is a GNU shell, and is what's found on BSD and Linux systems. You might find it easier to just get Carbon Copy Cloner which includes the latest rsync (Apple's installed version is 2.6.9 from 2006; if you want to use the latest from upstream you can install Macports and build the current version yourself) and schedule your backups.

Thank-you…

Originally Posted by murphychris

OK then get Acrobat 10 or 11 from Adobe, there is a Mac version.

Despite having checked their website I did not realize that Mac versions existed as they are so deeply buried…in any event, thanks, this is very helpful.

Originally Posted by murphychris

I'd make sure it's current, if you're going to rely on it for Time Machine backups over a network.

Agreed…the best way to do this is likely trial and error to see whether or not it works as I could not find any relevant information on the internet.

Originally Posted by murphychris

Time Machine has three modes for the target location of backups: local (same file system), DAS and NAS. All three are normal.

Local is used to maintain (temporary) backups when you're not connected to your usual backup destination, and are cleared to that destination when you reconnect.

DAS is expected to be either JHFS+ or JHFSX in order to accept a Time Machine backup because each incremental backup behaves as if it were a full backup by using hardlinks to unchanged files instead of actually backing everything up every hour, other file systems aren't supported. DAS is the usual case for most users.

NAS as destination causes Time Machine to write a sparse bundle disk image (a growable file system contained inside a file that also grows as the file system contained within it gets bigger) which is mounted locally only via AFP and used as the destination target.

Assuming that my NAS is AFP/TimeMachine compatible then would you suggest that I use a DAS [i.e. I could pick up a 2TB+ USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt Drive] or my NAS which is 4 GB in size and setup as a RAID 5 device.

Originally Posted by murphychris

Yes. I strongly advise you get the VM the way you want it, and from that point use snapshots within the VM so that changes to the virtual disk are made to a secondary file (the snapshot) rather than to the very large single monolithic virtual disk file. Otherwise, you end up with hourly backups of what's likely to be a 20+GB virtual disk file, even if only 10MB have changed. Alternatively, set in Time Machine, to ignore the VM virtual disk to exclude it from backups, and back it up with a different system (Carbon Copy Cloner, or rsync, or even cp from a bash file) where you keep fewer copies and less frequently done.

To be clear…it is your suggestion that I either i) make changes to a secondary file [i.e. a file other than the VMs virtual hard drive] so that TimeMachine does not consistently backup a 20 GB+ file OR ii) exclude the VMs virtual hard from TimeMachine and back it up separately such as with backuplist+ [i.e http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/21413/backuplist+ ] which I happened upon yesterday.

With respect to i) above is not the case everytime I open the VM its virtual disk will change which means that there is no way to avoid TimeMachine from consistently backing it up other than excluding it.

While on the subject of TimeMachine, what is the protocol when one’s DAS or NAS is full as a result of TimeMachine [i.e. is there a feature to delete backups beyond a certain age]?

*****

Thanks for the assistance and the time as it is greatly appreciated,



Joel

[murphychris]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

Agreed…the best way to do this is likely trial and error to see whether or not it works as I could not find any relevant information on the internet.

Well no, the best way is to call or email support and ask. It could be days, weeks or months of backing up before an incompatibility reveals itself.

Assuming that my NAS is AFP/TimeMachine compatible then would you suggest that I use a DAS [i.e. I could pick up a 2TB+ USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt Drive] or my NAS which is 4 GB in size and setup as a RAID 5 device.

Doesn't matter. Either way I don't have much long term trust in these backups so I blow them away and start over after ~9 months (+- 3 months). And I keep 2nd and 3rd backups using rsync rather than depending entirely on Time Machine. But my first choice is to restore Time Machine backups because it's basically push button.

To be clear…it is your suggestion that I either i) make changes to a secondary file [i.e. a file other than the VMs virtual hard drive] so that TimeMachine does not consistently backup a 20 GB+ file OR ii) exclude the VMs virtual hard from TimeMachine and back it up separately such as with backuplist+ [i.e http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/21413/backuplist+ ] which I happened upon yesterday.

Yes.

With respect to i) above is not the case everytime I open the VM its virtual disk will change which means that there is no way to avoid TimeMachine from consistently backing it up other than excluding it.

That's why I said to use snapshots so the main VM disk image file isn't updated, but rather a snapshot file, and that still gets backed up.

While on the subject of TimeMachine, what is the protocol when one’s DAS or NAS is full as a result of TimeMachine [i.e. is there a feature to delete backups beyond a certain age]?

Time Machine starts deleting old backups. Well before this happens, I've blown away the TM backup and started a new one.

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by murphychris

For DAS that's NTFS formatted, you'd need a Paragon or Tuxera offering.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/paragon...eview-rewards/

For NAS, the file system doesn't matter as it's offered up to OS X as either CIFS, AFP or NFS.

If the NTFS volume is made available via NAS over AFP then Time Machine will create a disk image file containing an independent JHFSX filesystem, onto which your backup will exist. Time Machine will not backup to NTFS formatted DAS. To support Time Machine to a 3rd party NAS, you need to make sure the version of AFP it's using is up to date (netatalk 2.2.3 or better).

I have hit a glitch....

I have installed NTFS for Mac for purposes of my DAS and all works as it should...

I however am having a terrible time with my NTFS formatted NAS as I can neither:

1. Get iTunes 11 in OS X to read my music though this works perfectly in Windows.

2. Get Time Machine to read the sparse bundle which I created and transferred to the drive to recognize the drive.

Any ideas / help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,


Joel

[mentaluproar]

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Air

You are fine.

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by mentaluproar

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Air

You are fine.

Yes, I saw that but then again I was one of the "lucky ones" who had their 64 GB WiFi + Cell iPad 3 updated 8 weeks after purchasing it...not a nice feeling...

[JoelBC]

Although there is an entire thread on cases it is mixed with bags, cases, skins, etc. so I am asking again....

I am looking for a case to cover my MBA that will NOT in and of itself scratch it...I need protection from scratches...I do *NOT* need protection from "drops" as I am very careful with the things that I own...

With that, which case would you recommend.

Thanks in advance,


Joel

[jsgreen]

Before you drop $$$ on Adobe Acrobat, take a look at PDFPenPro from Smile Software, is a lot less expensive and has a lot of capabilities.

TextExpander by Smile is also a great app, by the way (but don't buy it from the App Store, sandbox restrictions prevent Smile from releasing updates to it via the App Store).

I'm not affiliated, just a happy customer.

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by jsgreen

Before you drop $$$ on Adobe Acrobat, take a look at PDFPenPro from Smile Software, is a lot less expensive and has a lot of capabilities.

Appreciate the suggestion...one follow up, can PDFPenPro open Acrobat files and, in particular, Acrobat files that have password security? I looked on their website and could find an answer.

Originally Posted by jsgreen

TextExpander by Smile is also a great app, by the way (but don't buy it from the App Store, sandbox restrictions prevent Smile from releasing updates to it via the App Store).

I'm not affiliated, just a happy customer.

Appreciate the answer...I am new to Mac, what are sandbox restrictions?


Thanks,


Joel

[PosterNutbag.]

Originally Posted by JoelBC

7. VPN

I will need to connect to a Cisco SA...I was able to do so with iOS 6's built in VPN app which was Cisco clients...is there a similar app in OS 10.8?
Joel

If you are using IPSec, you do not need the Cisco VPN client. An IPSec VPN client is built in.

I use it to connect to multiple Cisco ASA's via IPSec. It works well.

[JoelBC]

Originally Posted by PosterNutbag.

If you are using IPSec, you do not need the Cisco VPN client. An IPSec VPN client is built in.

I use it to connect to multiple Cisco ASA's via IPSec. It works well.

Appreciate the response...figured this out within the first hour of owning my MBA...sweeeeeeet!

----------

Originally Posted by macneubie

Ain't too sure about your requirements, but I have no problem copying files on the Mac to the NAS which was forbidden under OSX. My requirement is typically an ad-hoc basis, but it appears you wanted your iTunes to have full read/write access to the NTFS NAS, hence from a resource point of view, it's kinda overkill to fire up // and W7 just to enable full RW access.

See *MURPHYCHRIS'* Post # 5 in this thread which is explains what you are experiencing as follows "...For NAS, the file system doesn't matter as it's offered up to OS X as either CIFS, AFP or NFS...."