Forum Overview :: Tansin A. Darcos's Alter Ego
 
Re: Another point: Why do I need to use Linux to backup the Macintosh? by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/28/2013, 5:26pm PDT
blackwater park wrote:

answer: because Macs suck.

Don't ask the question, if you can't handle the answer...

Real Answer: Because I'm stupid.

I knew I had to use some non-proprietary, non Apple-exclusive backup because, if I need to restore the machine, I can't use something that requires the Macintosh operating system, I need something I can use to save the image and restore it if need be, which would be the dd program on linux.

As soon as you asked that question - or answered it - it hit me. I don't need Linux to create an image backup of the Mac. The underlying operating system on Mac OS X is BSD, which includes dd, which can be used to make an image copy of a hard drive. Or with gzip, a compressed image. Do a little research on the internet for the command format. From a terminal window

sudo dd if=/dev/disk0 | gzip >/Volumes/untitled/mac-disk0.gz
enter password

From a second terminal window

sudo dd if=/dev/disk1 |gzip >/Volumes/untitled/mac-disk1.gz
enter password

Let them run until they finish. disk1 is a very small, about 3.5 gb partition, I suspect it's a recovery partition. disk0 contains all the files, it's about 72 gb of which about 66 is free. Each one has some subpartitions, probably boot code and such.

"untitled" is an extra hard disk I have available that's connected to the Mac via a USB cable. Storing it locally should be much faster than copying over the network. Then I can copy the compressed image file over the network which should be fairly quick compared with backing up the drive. Whether it takes hours or days, once it finishes then it's done.

PREVIOUS REPLY QUOTE
 
NAS Backup: 1,038,795 items found, 516 GB to copy by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/18/2013, 9:17am PDT NEW
    Good News: It's got only one day left! by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/19/2013, 5:48am PDT NEW
        2 Hours and 55 minutes remaining by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/20/2013, 1:06am PDT NEW
    Another point: Why do I need to use Linux to backup the Macintosh? by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/19/2013, 6:09am PDT NEW
        Correction: It is a Seagate drive, not WD NT by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/19/2013, 6:12am PDT NEW
            Of course it's a Seagate, you cheap motherfucker. NT by Eurotrash 05/19/2013, 2:23pm PDT NEW
                Oh please by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/20/2013, 1:42am PDT NEW
                    Every product must be reliable given the business hasn't gone bankrupt yet. NT by Worm 05/20/2013, 6:04am PDT NEW
                    Hahahah. You're poor. And I did not read a word of that wall of craziness. by Eurotrash 05/20/2013, 11:44am PDT NEW
        Because you don't have 10.5, the first version with Time Machine? by Entropy Stew 05/19/2013, 9:46am PDT NEW
        Re: Another point: Why do I need to use Linux to backup the Macintosh? by blackwater park 05/28/2013, 12:12am PDT NEW
            Re: Another point: Why do I need to use Linux to backup the Macintosh? by Commander Tansin A. Darcos 05/28/2013, 5:26pm PDT NEW
 
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