Will Time Machine require a fresh install (and format)??

[todd2000]

Was reading the AppleInsider review of Time machine the other day, and they mention something interesting. They say that in order to make "hard-links" work that Apple had to make changes to the HFS+ file system. To quote the article:

"To solve both problems, Time Machine does something new and different that actually required Apple to make changes to the underlying Mac file system, HFS+."

If they are making changes to the file system, isn't that going to require re-formatting our HDs with the updated version of HFS+? Which would make upgrading not really an option. Or do you think that the installer will automatically update the file system without formatting if you choose the upgrade option?

Im going to do a fresh install anyway, but Im just wondering, since nobody has mentioned it before?

 

[projectle]

It is simply the way that HFS+ handles and maintains it's inode table.
This is the filesystem table that describes all files and their positions.

It does not require a reformat to upgrade the inode tables. This happens automatically in the upgrade.

 

[projectle]

On another note, Time Machine will not require a clean install even if running from another partition, as by default you are unable to use your main partition as a Time Machine storage drive.

There has been some talk amongst the community responsible for the OSx86 project that one can achieve this setup by creating a .com.apple.timemachine.supported file on the root of the hard drive as well as by modifying one of the TimeMachine .plist files, however I forget which one they had mentioned.

I have been told that this full guide will be published upon the release of Leopard, as to bypass the whole NDA thing.

 

[solvs]

The Upgrade option works fine with Time Machine, as does Archive and Install.