Moving to a new Mac without using Migration Assistant?

[Feek]

I forget the last time I started with a fresh OSX/macOS install because for over ten years, I've always done an upgrade in place. I've got a new Mac Studio on the way. My main Mac is currently an old iMac and I was planning on starting from scratch without any system cruft that may have accumulated over the years. There won't be a huge amount of cruft, I don't do a lot of installing and removing programs.

A lot of the stuff is simple, it'll be handled by iCloud but I'm planning on moving some directories over manually.

For example, my Music library, my ~/pictures directory (not including the Photos library, that can rebuild from iCloud), my ~/movie directory with the associated iMovie library file.

Will there be any issues with permissions if I just browse to these directories across the network and copy them from the old Mac to the new Mac?

Thanks.

 

[Fishrrman]

Rather than connect via network, I recommend that you created a cloned backup of the OLD Mac.

Then you can mount the backup in the finder (it will mount and be accessible as would any regular drive), and copy items as you wish.

For creating the clone, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
Both are FREE to download and use for 30 days -- this costs you nothing.

You WILL have permissions issues UNLESS you take these steps with the cloned drive:
1. Connect drive to NEW Mac, let it mount on the desktop
2. Click ONE TIME on the drive icon to select it, then bring up "get info" (command-i)
3. At the bottom of get info click the lock icon and enter your NEW password (the one you're using with the NEW Mac)
4. Put a checkmark into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions)
5. Close get info.
Now you can copy what you wish from the drive, and whatever you copy will "fall under the ownership" of your NEW account.

A word about copying things between home folders:
You CANNOT copy "the top level" of folders -- that is, the folders named movies, music, pictures, documents, etc. These represent "more than just folders" (in the old days they were "symbolic links", not sure what they are now).
HOWEVER... you CAN copy files and folders that ARE INSIDE OF these top-level folders.
That means that you can copy the Photos library icon (the icon actually represents many folders) from your old account to the new one.
Same thing for music, etc.

Don't rush the process.
Take time to get one thing done, tested and working (like music).
Then move on to the next.
Might help to keep handwritten notes.

Good luck.

 

[Feek]

Thanks for the reply.

For creating the clone, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.

I've already got the full versions of both, I started off using SuperDuper! on my first Mac and shifted over to CCC a few years ago. CCC runs on a scheduled basis but yes, I'll have a copy.

Understood about the directories, I wasn't planning on copying the top levels of any of them anyway, just specific things from the contents.

Why is it preferable to drag files back from a drive rather than across the network? Is this just for the permissions? I don't mind doing it either way, just curious to know why you suggest doing that way rather than grabbing them from the existing iMac.

 

[Fishrrman]

"Why is it preferable to drag files back from a drive rather than across the network? Is this just for the permissions?"

Yes, takes care of permissions as best as can be done.
Just seems easier to do it with a drive... all the more so because you already have cloned backups available.

 

[solouki]

Just so you know:

Drag-and-Drop, Copy-and-Paste, Universal Control's Drag-and-Drop, Universal Control's Copy-and-Paste, and AirDrop do not copy all files nor do they necessarily copy all metadata, extended attributes, and flags; and they also may add certain Apple metadata, such as com.apple.quarantine, to files. (There are specially hidden files not copied by these Finder utilities.)

If you wish to copy everything, then you must use the Terminal command "cp -a" or the "ditto" command.

I am preparing a post that lists numerous techniques (D-n'-D, C-n'-P, UC's D-n'-D, UC's C-n'-P, AirDrop, tar, gtar, dd, rsync, scp, sftp, mail, pax, ditto, shar, defaults, ls, mdls, xattr, exiftool, bzip2, gzip, zip, gpg2, shasum, diff, split, cat, etc.) for copying files from one system to another and verifying that the copy was performed properly and in full. I've been sidetracked, however, so haven't been able to finish this study. But at some point I will get back to it...