How to disable to Local snapshots and version

[zepman]

I have local snapshots enabled and the Mobilebackups-disk shows up in Volumes. I also can access the "Star wars"-Time Machine-thing when no external backup-disk is connected. When I run the "tmutil snapshot"-command in the terminal I don't get an error code.
So far so good.


The problem is that when I try to force a local snapshot nothing happens. The MobileBackups remains empty and I don't get a white line in Time Machine.

Don't know if this is normal but the MoblieBackups-disk shows 0 MB free and 499.2 GB used. (499.2GB is the whole capacity of my startup disk)

When the external backup disk is not connected and I run "tmutil latestbackup" I get "Unable to locate machine directory for host." and "tmutil machinedirectory" gives me "No machine directory found for host."
I assuming that if I had a successfull local snapshot those commands would had pointed to that…

I've tried to disable and enable local snapshots but that haven't helped.

Here's the Console-messages when enabling local snapshots and trying to force a snapshot.

25/7/2011 11:07:41.760 AM sudo:  Fredrik : TTY=ttys000 ; PWD=/Users/Fredrik ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/bin/tmutil enablelocal
25/7/2011 11:07:42.174 AM Firewall: mtmfs is listening from 127.0.0.1:49307 proto=6
25/7/2011 11:07:42.228 AM Firewall: mtmfs is listening from 127.0.0.1:49308 proto=6
25/7/2011 11:07:42.000 AM kernel: nspace-handler-set-snapshot-time: 1311584864
25/7/2011 11:07:47.190 AM com.apple.mtmfs: /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/T//mtmfsMap498
25/7/2011 11:07:47.197 AM com.apple.launchd: (com.apple.SystemStarter) Failed to count the number of files in "/System/Library/StartupItems": No such file or directory
25/7/2011 11:07:47.197 AM com.apple.launchd: (com.apple.SystemStarter) Failed to count the number of files in "/System/Library/StartupItems": No such file or directory
25/7/2011 11:07:47.197 AM com.apple.launchd: (com.apple.SystemStarter) Failed to count the number of files in "/System/Library/StartupItems": No such file or directory
25/7/2011 11:07:47.197 AM com.apple.launchd: (com.apple.SystemStarter) Failed to count the number of files in "/System/Library/StartupItems": No such file or directory
25/7/2011 11:07:47.000 AM kernel: nstat_lookup_entry failed: 2
25/7/2011 11:09:00.000 AM kernel: nspace-handler-set-snapshot-time: 1311584942

By the way, thats the deal with the StartupItems-folder not existing?

 

[paulsalter]

I am on a MacBook and usually only backup once a week (more if i have done a lot of changes)

not sure if this does the same thing as the terminal command earlier, but when I have my usb backup drive disconnected (dont want backups done), I have turned off time machine in preferences

this has recovered about 8 gig of drive space for me

 

[mobilehavoc]

What is the point of storing local TM snapshots? Only thing I can think of is if you accidentally delete a file or need to revert back but it doesn't do any good if your HDD fails or OSX crashes, etc.

Without them, worst case you still restore back to the last time TM ran. Think it's kind of frivolous if you ask me but I'll leave it on for now.

 

[mrapplegate]

What is the point of storing local TM snapshots? Only thing I can think of is if you accidentally delete a file or need to revert back but it doesn't do any good if your HDD fails or OSX crashes, etc.

Without them, worst case you still restore back to the last time TM ran. Think it's kind of frivolous if you ask me but I'll leave it on for now.

The point is to keep making backups when not connected to your TM drive. If your laptop is connected to your TM source most of the time, turn it off to save disk space.

 

[mobilehavoc]

The point is to keep making backups when not connected to your TM drive. If your laptop is connected to your TM source most of the time, turn it off to save disk space.

But what is the point of making a backup of something and storing the backup on the same thing? I don't see the major advantage over just waiting for the next time TM runs and calculating changes then. That's what SL did and it worked fine IMHO. I understand why Apple might do this but there's no setting for it and the average user will not get why their hard drive space shrinks on a daily basis without adding anything to it!!!

 

[mrapplegate]

But what is the point of making a backup of something and storing the backup on the same thing? I don't see the major advantage over just waiting for the next time TM runs and calculating changes then. That's what SL did and it worked fine IMHO. I understand why Apple might do this but there's no setting for it and the average user will not get why their hard drive space shrinks on a daily basis without adding anything to it!!!

A quote from the TM help file:

"If you have a portable computer, in addition to saving backups on your backup disk, Time Machine saves hourly snapshots of files and stores the snapshots on your computer’s internal drive. If your backup disk isn’t connected, Time Machine continues saving snapshots on your internal drive, and then resumes backing up to your backup disk when you reconnect it."

Apple sometimes shields things from the user. It assumes they don't know best. At least there is a terminal command that can disable local snapshots.
I disabled mine. I connect my external drive at least every other day. Any data loss between those days is acceptable to me.

 

[mobilehavoc]

A quote from the TM help file:

"If you have a portable computer, in addition to saving backups on your backup disk, Time Machine saves hourly snapshots of files and stores the snapshots on your computer’s internal drive. If your backup disk isn’t connected, Time Machine continues saving snapshots on your internal drive, and then resumes backing up to your backup disk when you reconnect it."

Apple sometimes shields things from the user. It assumes they don't know best. At least there is a terminal command that can disable local snapshots.
I disabled mine. I connect my external drive at least every other day. Any data loss between those days is acceptable to me.

I highly doubt the average Mac user will be comfortable using a command line. I'm just waiting for people to start bitching about their hard drive being used up by this and not knowing any way to turn it off. Apple is going to be getting a lot of calls.

 

[mrapplegate]

I highly doubt the average Mac user will be comfortable using a command line. I'm just waiting for people to start bitching about their hard drive being used up by this and not knowing any way to turn it off. Apple is going to be getting a lot of calls.

They already are complaining, search the forums for Backup and/or local snapshots . You will see them complaining about GB of snapshots taking their space. Until something changes there is no GUI to disable it, and Apple did this on purpose, remember APPLE KNOWS BEST