Mountain Lion, and 'Backups'

[suclearnub]

I am trying to free up space so that I can install Boot Camp for later, but when I check my internal SSD's space (Apple menu -> About this mac -> more info -> storage), I found that the 'Backups' section used a whopping 32GB. What is it, and how do I remove it? I use Time Machine if that helps.

[Weaselboy]

That is local backups created by Time Machine. If you turn Time Machine off then back on it will zero out that space.

[suclearnub]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

That is local backups created by Time Machine. If you turn Time Machine off then back on it will zero out that space.

Can I have Time Machine but not the local 'Backups'?

[chown33]

Originally Posted by suclearnub

Can I have Time Machine but not the local 'Backups'?

See here, and find the word snapshot:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showpost...24&postcount=2

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by suclearnub

Can I have Time Machine but not the local 'Backups'?

You can disable it with this >> "sudo tmutil disablelocal" Terminal command. But there really is no need to. OS X will manage this space and if the user requires the space for storage, OS X will automatically shrink the space used for local backups.

It can be a useful feature is you need a version of a file when away from your Time Machine disk. I would just leave it on and ignore it.

[suclearnub]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

You can disable it with this >> "sudo tmutil disablelocal" Terminal command. But there really is no need to. OS X will manage this space and if the user requires the space for storage, OS X will automatically shrink the space used for local backups.

It can be a useful feature is you need a version of a file when away from your Time Machine disk. I would just leave it on and ignore it.

Now the 512GB SSD looks really, really damn good. Why didn't I upgrade that? *facepalm*

[krravi]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

You can disable it with this >> "sudo tmutil disablelocal" Terminal command. But there really is no need to. OS X will manage this space and if the user requires the space for storage, OS X will automatically shrink the space used for local backups.

It can be a useful feature is you need a version of a file when away from your Time Machine disk. I would just leave it on and ignore it.

I have a question for you Weasel.

Say I have local snapshots enabled and after a few weeks I decide to connect my MBP to the time machine and hit "back up". Now, the time machine starts to backup my MBP.

Now, what happens to those local snapshots? In the sense that, is Time machine aware of those local snapshots? And after the TM backup is done, will the local snapshots be deleted so it can start another session when I am not connected to the TM?

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by krravi

I have a question for you Weasel.

Say I have local snapshots enabled and after a few weeks I decide to connect my MBP to the time machine and hit "back up". Now, the time machine starts to backup my MBP.

Now, what happens to those local snapshots? In the sense that, is Time machine aware of those local snapshots? And after the TM backup is done, will the local snapshots be deleted so it can start another session when I am not connected to the TM?

No, from what I have seen tinkering with it a bit, they stay there as long as you have the extra disk space available.

[krravi]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

No, from what I have seen tinkering with it a bit, they stay there as long as you have the extra disk space available.

Okay but when you do the TM backup, are the local snapshots taken into account?

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by krravi

Okay but when you do the TM backup, are the local snapshots taken into account?

Yes. The TM backup will pull those into the external backup set.

[krravi]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

Yes. The TM backup will pull those into the external backup set.

So now once the local snapshots are pulled into the TM. Why is it still lingering around? So that we can go back in time locally if we wanted to?

[Weaselboy]

Originally Posted by krravi

So now once the local snapshots are pulled into the TM. Why is it still lingering around? So that we can go back in time locally if we wanted to?

Yes, I believe that is the idea. It can actually be handy. I was on the road recently reconciling my bank statement in iBank and screwed it all up. I was able to use the local backups to restore a previous version of the iBank file and pick up where I left off.

[krravi]

Originally Posted by Weaselboy

Yes, I believe that is the idea. It can actually be handy. I was on the road recently reconciling my bank statement in iBank and screwed it all up. I was able to use the local backups to restore a previous version of the iBank file and pick up where I left off.

Okay cool.

You know i just returned my rMBP which had 256 GB SSD. I thought I would make do with it. But after the backups started eating space, I returned it and ordered a 512 GB one.