While I personally agree with Adam (mostly) that the time for bootable backups is gone…I still keep one SSD that I install the latest major version of macOS on…then clone the Data drive before creating any accounts and tell System Prefs to use the existing homedirs so the permissions get fixed. Cloning Data periodically provides a mostly up to date option to get back online quickly if necessary.
As I mentioned above, it looks like SuperDuper! will, once again, be able to provide bootable backups, once OS 15.3 is released. I have already stated my reasons for not using any kind of “external” service for backing up my information. Also, if I need to, I want to be back up and running as quick as possible. Bootable backups provide that for me.
So, Adam’s premise will soon be invalid. Bootable backups are here to stay (as long as David Nanian is around!).
The breakage and repair of breakage is entirely due to Apple.
Apple is the only company capable of creating a bootable macOS system. Either via an installer or via the “ASR” utility (which Apple uses to install the initial image on newly-manufactured Macs).
CCC and SD! broke because of a bug in ASR. And they started working again when that bug was fixed.
I know all that. But here is what I posted a few days ago (look up):
" Ok, folks, David Nanian of Shirt Pocket Software sent this to me earlier today:
“The replicator works in 15.3.”
I assume he tested SD with the Beta 2 of OS 15.3 that was released earlier today, Also, he included the link Install macOS on an external storage device and use it as a startup disk - Apple Support . It talks about the DFU port and bootable backups, etc.
So, for me, I am a happy camper, as SD works as expected wih OS 15.3. Apple finally got off its butt and fixed their ASR software. And I am glad we still have developers like David who refuse to give up!"
So, to be clear, Apple has fixed the replicator (their ASR software) in the latest beta of OS 15.3. Once it is released (should be soon), bootable backups, via SuperDuper!, will be working again.
I already posted the EMail I received the other day, about the replicator working in the latest beta of OS 15.3. Once OS 15.3 is released (should be soon), bootable backups via SuperDuper! will be working again.
Maybe…both he and Mike Bombich say that the current version of ASR and making it work is kinda of a kludge…and it isn’t supported by Apple. If one really wants a bootable clone…clone the Data drive and then install macOS over the top of it…then periodically recline the Data partition.
I know we used to be able to easily clone macOS…but the signed, sealed, and read only system volume is what we have now and Apple has decent reasons for doing it that way…so trying to work around their security model seems unwise…but the process above will give one sort of a quick back up and running work around. But an AS machine won’t boot at all with a dead internal SSD…and since the boot partition is signed, locked, and read only it is unlikely to be hosed unless the whole SSD is hosed…and you’re screwed then anyway.
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Neil,
Not sure who you mean by “he”, but all I know is (as a long time SuperDuper! user), David has always pushed ahead to keep having SD make bootable backups. And in the past (prior to the ASR fix in OS 15.3 Beta 2), SD has never had a problem with copying/replicating the System Volume. It was with the release of OS 15,2 that Apple created the problem. But I suspect David “complained loudly enough” to Apple about the issue, and Apple finally got off its butt and fixed it.
I of course do not know how “easy” it was/is to clone the System Volume, but I am sure glad there are developers like David who refuse to give up. And I also see nothing wrong with programming around such an issue. That’s the way things are done sometimes, and usually by innovative folks. Heck, plenty has always been made of how innovative Apple was/is. What’s wrong with developers who follow the same path?
Yes, obviously a dead internal SSD is just that: dead. And a bootable clone (and I suspect most other recovery methods) are useless. One can, if they work at it enough, keep their system “lean, mean, and clean”, and that will go along way to keep internal SSDs functioning fine. (Of course nothing can be done with a manufacturing defect).
So, your statement about a “kludge” is not accurate. One can, as you suggest, clone the Data drive and then install macOS on top of it. But to me, that is not as convenient (nor productive) as having software like SuperDuper! work as it should. That will be the case (again) once OS 15,3 is released. And that makes me pleased.
You’re entitled to your opinion…but Bombich used to work for Apple and is on par with Dave’s knowledge of the disk format issues. I’m sure that both wupill try and work around the issues…but I own SuperDuper as well…and frankly CCC is a much more capable program if you want to do more than just clone a disk…you may disagree with that and that’s fine. The fact remains is that Apple has decided that the benefits of a bootable backup don’t outweigh the benefits and we users just have to accept that.
That said…cloning the Data partition and installing macOS over the top of it and then re-cloning the Data portion as desired provides a viable and approved by Apple way of accomplishing the same task. Given the locked, signed, and read only characteristics of a current system volume…cloning the read only partition doesn’t make a whole bunch of sense because that volume is (absent an SSD failure) is pretty immune to problems. Dave…frankly isn’t interested at all in improving the capabilities of SD…he says it is a complete disk cloning app. We have emailed about it and he isn’t interested for whatever reasons in adding capabilities. CCC is IMO a more useful utility. I’m sure that both Dave and Mike will keep trying to work around the ASR issues…but the handwriting is on the wall as they say. The best alternative is to just accept that and move on to new ways of rapid restoration. As I noted…installing over a clone of the Data partition does essentially the same thing…and assuming an AS machine the resulting clone will boot on any same series or less AS hardware and maybe on newer series as well.
Apple has made their decision here and we just need to accept that an easy and reliable boot partition clone is on the way out…but then as I said…install over a Data clone and fundamentally you have the same thing without breaking the Apple rules.
YMMV of course…but this whole discussion of bootable clones is venturing into territory Apple no longer supports and while workarounds might work for awhile in the long term it’s time to move on.
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You are still not understanding what I posted previously. Apple made the decision to fix the replicator in the Beta 3 (my mistake previously when I said Beta 2) of OS 15.3, plain and simple. And that is not a matter of my opinion. It is a fact.
As for CCC versus SD, CCC has not been able to create a clone for about a year. But SD can still do it (except for the recent hiccup in OS 15.2). For me, SD is just what I need, especially given that it can create a bootable clone. So, no matter how many additional features CCC supposedly has, it cannot beat that simple fact that SD can create a bootable clone. And David never gave up continuing to provide that functionality. But Bob Bombich did, plain and simple.
So, your repetitious statements about Apple making the decision, venturing into territory Apple no longer supports, etc, are flat out wrong. And again I am just so thankful that we have developers like David Nanian who refuse to give up, and continue to innovate. Yes, the method you state about cloning the Data partition and installing macOS on top of it and then re-cloning the Data partition accomplishes the same thing, but SD can do it all at once, ie, not a kludge. For my money, I would much rather have SD continue to be able to make bootable backups/clones, even if David needs to work around Apple. Again, nothing wrong with being innovative. And again, supposedly Apple was (and still is?) an innovative company, and I’ll bet they needed to design some software to get around issues.
So one more time, to be clear: Apple fixed the replicator in Beta 3 of OS 15.3. That was their decision, and it’s a fact.
Alright, let’s shut this discussion down—the posts are becoming repetitive.
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