Ideal paths for backup software?

[makemacgreatagain]

I realized one of the apps I run saves its profiles in /private on OSX, and I don't have that directory backed up. I also found exclude paths for Spotlight, which includes some subdirs of /private/, but for the most part includes it (http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20080328025026826).

So, if I want to make sure that all data is backed up - and leave stuff that isn't important (can always download OSX and your purchased apps again), then what are the ideal backup paths?

For example, one should include /Users/user/Application Support/[word processing applications] because they save temporary files of your documents there often. Is there an officially kept list of file paths that are up to date per OSX version?

 

[simonsi]

Personally I just backup everything and only positively exclude data I know I can retrieve from elsewhere (eg Dropbox).

Try to find all possible paths to positively include is doomed to some kind of issue on Restore IMHO.

 

[makemacgreatagain]

Personally I just backup everything and only positively exclude data I know I can retrieve from elsewhere (eg Dropbox).

Try to find all possible paths to positively include is doomed to some kind of issue on Restore IMHO.

Doesn't seem optimal... How many of the changed files would just be caches and OS related stuff? I think ideally, we would just want non-system files & app data, right?

 

[chscag]

So, if I want to make sure that all data is backed up - and leave stuff that isn't important (can always download OSX and your purchased apps again), then what are the ideal backup paths?

Too much of a hassle doing backups your way when you can use something like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper and include everything. With the inexpensive cost of external storage what do you gain by all those exclusions? Have you ever tried to download macOS again and all your purchased apps once more?

 

[makemacgreatagain]

Trying ARQ this time. CrashPlan Home just went under.

 

[simonsi]

Doesn't seem optimal... How many of the changed files would just be caches and OS related stuff? I think ideally, we would just want non-system files & app data, right?

Optimal? The aim is to have a backup that works, sure "my" way costs you a bit of disk space but has the benefit of not requiring endless maintenance..."your" way is likely to end up with a marginally smaller backup that may or may not work with unknown implications. No brainer in my view but YMMV.

 

[makemacgreatagain]

Optimal? The aim is to have a backup that works, sure "my" way costs you a bit of disk space but has the benefit of not requiring endless maintenance..."your" way is likely to end up with a marginally smaller backup that may or may not work with unknown implications. No brainer in my view but YMMV.

I don't mind if the backup is bigger. What I mean was backing up cache and all sorts of system files that are getting rewritten all of the time will cost a lot more CPU & disk time for the backup software. But anyway, thank you for your input.

 

[Fishrrman]

Get either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.

Either one will clone the ENTIRE drive.
Or... if you wish... you can select those folders/files that you DON'T want to include in the backup.

Both are free to download and try for 30 days.
Doing so will "cost you nothing" except for the time it takes to do the clones, to see if the results suit your needs...

 

[Pakaku]

I just boot up the machine into Recovery Mode and use Disk Utility to clone an image to an external harddrive. Absolutely free and built into the OS, and guaranteed to make a perfect copy (i've noticed little nagging things with SuperDuper for some reason), although probably one of the more manually-intensive options.

 

[Tech198]

I realized one of the apps I run saves its profiles in /private on OSX, and I don't have that directory backed up. I also found exclude paths for Spotlight, which includes some subdirs of /private/, but for the most part includes it (http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20080328025026826).

So, if I want to make sure that all data is backed up - and leave stuff that isn't important (can always download OSX and your purchased apps again), then what are the ideal backup paths?

For example, one should include /Users/user/Application Support/[word processing applications] because they save temporary files of your documents there often. Is there an officially kept list of file paths that are up to date per OSX version?

Caches folder you don't need to worry about. Backing up for instance Firefox's user/profile Application Support may be good. Alternately, just backup the file(s) itself that you need (no point in backing things up unwanted stuff) for example.

Before i back bits & pieces up, i do a Google search to make sure what they do...

I could just backup and then restore entire folder structure, but i'm not interested in everything.. Your situation may be different. (e.g backing up pref file.. .json files, or any affiliated adobe products configuration specifically)

I just boot up the machine into Recovery Mode and use Disk Utility to clone an image to an external harddrive. Absolutely free and built into the OS, and guaranteed to make a perfect copy (i've noticed little nagging things with SuperDuper for some reason), although probably one of the more manually-intensive options.

Cloning is also good,but its not always ideal if you wanna start fresh anyway... All that's doing is bringing any previous troubles you'd had over.

It may be perfect copy, assuming you had nothing wrong. I' always hesitate to do clones because i tend to trust myself much more than automated software any-day *grins*

If its in a hurry, then i *might* do it, but completely different scenario approach for me. I do do backups,but even that is not automated.. i manually copy things over. *call me old fashioned*. , but much prefer doing things perfectly *once*, than waiting for some automated *important process* to fail intermittently ad causing more work after.

However, i would probably automate scripts, probably because they aren't effecting my hard drive 100%