[Ti] OSX Advice (long)

[RFD]

on 1/11/03 8:07 PM, PowerBook G4 Titanium List at
Titanium at lists.themacintoshguy.com wrote:

> Message-ID: <3E20B738.4070505 at astcomm.net>
> Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 18:30:48 -0600
> From: Chris Olson <chris at astcomm.net>
> Subject: Re: [Ti] OSX Advice (long)
> 
> RFD wrote:
> 
>> When you update or install something on your internal drive, do the same on
>> your external drive to keep them current (but not until you're sure the
>> update or install hasn't caused any problems on the internal drive).
> 
> Use your unix tools.
> 
> rsync -arvz --delete <source> <destination>
> run from a daily cron job is quite effective for mirroring data backups.
> It is also totally automatic, and if your MTA is functioning
> correctly, cron will email you a note outlining what took place during
> the backup job.
> 
> You also don't necessarily have to have an external drive to back up to.
> Another computer with a large hard disk also works.  You can back up
> to a Windows box, another Mac, a network file server, or whatever, with
> rsync over ssh:
> rsync -e 'ssh -i /root/.ssh/<public_key>' -arvz --delete <source>
> <destination>
> also run from a cron job, with a public ssh key stored on the receiving
> (backup) server to allow login without have to type a password at the
> command line.
> 
> Mirroring an entire drive is not usually needed, IMHO.  Just mirror
> important system configurations and user space data.  In the event of
> drive failure, it is better to start with a fresh install of your
> software, then simply retrieve your important data from your backups.
> -- 
> Chris Olson
> Network Administrator
> AST Communications,  Inc.
> Barron,  WI   USA

Chris,

That's excellent advice for an advanced user who is comfortable with the
command line. Read the original post again. The person who asked the
question did not seem to be someone who would be comfortable in that
environment (as I'm sure 99% of OS X users are not). Most people using OS X
are looking for the path or least resistance and are not looking forward to
becoming a UNIX geek in order to run their Mac.

I have invested a lot of time talking to a lot of people trying to convince
them that they don't need to understand UNIX to switch to/run OS X.  I stay
as far away from the Terminal as I can when it comes to advice for anyone
not comfortable with OS X's UNIX underpinnings.

When you say, "You can back up  to a Windows box, another Mac, a network
file server, or whatever, with  rsync over ssh: rsync -e 'ssh -i
/root/.ssh/<public_key>' -arvz --delete <source>  <destination>
also run from a cron job, with a public ssh key stored on the receiving
(backup) server to allow login without have to type a password at the
command line", the usual response is, "What"?

I'm quite sure you are very, very good at what you do and your obvious
knowledge of the UNIX underpinnings of OS X is impressive, but you do this
marvelous OS and platform a disservice when you don't try to exhaust all the
avenues of familiarity first. For every person who understands your advice,
there are a thousand who don't. It's those thousand I want to convert to
and/or keep in OS X, and please believe me, UNIX speak does not make  it
easier. Over time, most OS X users will become more comfortable with UNIX,
but the vast majority don't want to start there.

Just my 2¢.

Bob


_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<> e-Mail:  rfd1 at mac.com
<> Apple Product Professional
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
<> Apple Product Guide:  http://www.apple.com/guide
<> http://homepage.mac.com/rfd1/FileSharing.html
<> Switching to Mac:  http://www.apple.com/switch/stories/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/