Backing up a Developer Preview?

There is no harm in using time machine or CCC on the DP.
I use both without issues.
You won't have problems as long as you move forward and not try to use a DP backup with 10.8.

 

How well does the time machine compress your files?

I have a stable 10.8.5 build installed and I think/kind of know I will need it for work later too. How ever if I was to run a time machine backup on it all (I assume I need a fairly big external disc) and then install Mavericks.. It should just be strait forward to roll back should I need to correct?

(p.s. I have 30 years of PC/microsoft knowledge and use and like 1 year of the apple way of doing things, so ive got no clue).

Thanks!

 

Time machine will not backup the OS it self, so no. You would need to reinstall 10.8.5 and restore a TM backup to that install.

 

Oh... well thats good to know.. makes things way less convenient thanks

 

Go ahead! If you want to backup with Time Machine, you'd better get an external hard drive to backup. That would be easier.

 

What are you talking about, and does your claim only apply to DPs? Because as far as I know from experience on retail versions of OS X, Time Machine does backup the OS. The backup isn't a 100% copy of everything on the drive, but you can restore your computer from a Time Machine backup and all you loose in the process is your recovery partition, which can be recreated by either re-installing the OS on top of the restored TM backup, or by other more complicated procedures. So, are you claiming you cannot restore from a DP backup?

Also, it would be nice if Apple finally fixed the way TM backups/restores work so that it includes the recovery partition during a restore, that way everything is back in order without further tweaks needed. I've emailed Apple about this, and so should everyone reading this!

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I'm not sure what that poster is claiming. So far as I know you can restore your computer from a TM backup, with minor loses that are resolvable rather easily.