apple_APFS Container disk3? What does this mean?

[WandererRev]

Hi please, see output from diskutil list. I am in the process of figuring out installing windows on a separate drive (OS X partition on one SSD, windows on one SSD). While going through things, I noticed that I have a disk3 that is linked the disk0...? is this normal behaviour? I am kind of confused.

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.1 GB disk0

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1

2: Apple_APFS Container disk3 499.9 GB disk0s2


/dev/disk1 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.1 GB disk1

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk1s1

2: Microsoft Basic Data WIN 499.9 GB disk1s2


/dev/disk2 (internal, physical):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: GUID_partition_scheme *1.0 TB disk2

1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk2s1

2: Apple_HFS rStorage 499.9 GB disk2s2

3: Apple_HFS rMirror 499.8 GB disk2s3


/dev/disk3 (synthesized):

#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER

0: APFS Container Scheme - +499.9 GB disk3

Physical Store disk0s2

1: APFS Volume rHD 265.6 GB disk3s1

2: APFS Volume Preboot 25.1 MB disk3s2

3: APFS Volume Recovery 517.8 MB disk3s3

4: APFS Volume VM 2.1 GB disk3s4

 

[vulgo]

On disk0 the second partition is an APFS container. It's a normal partition on a GPT disk.

APFS is a modern file system, it stores its data in the container partition on disk0 - but the number of APFS volumes and their sizes are independent of the GPT structure (within the space available). Volumes can be added or removed and the space they need is allocated on disk as required.

GPT PARTITION (disk0s2) -> APFS VOLUME MANAGER (disk3) -> APFS VOLUME(s) (disk3s1, disk3s2 etc) -> APFS FILESYSTEM

See 'diskutil apfs' e.g. 'diskutil apfs list'

 

[WandererRev]

On disk0 the second partition is an APFS container. It's a normal partition on a GPT disk.

APFS is a modern file system, it stores its data in the container partition on disk0 - but the number of APFS volumes and their sizes are independent of the GPT structure (within the space available). Volumes can be added or removed and the space they need is allocated on disk as required.

GPT PARTITION (disk0s2) -> APFS VOLUME MANAGER (disk3) -> APFS VOLUME(s) (disk3s1, disk3s2 etc) -> APFS FILESYSTEM

See 'diskutil apfs' e.g. 'diskutil apfs list'

Thanks very much. I thought I had screwed something up.

On another note, if I clone my apfs drive to a normal hdd formatted as hfs+, would it cause issues? I have a 1tb hd that I split into two 500gb partition. I cloned my drive to one of them with super duper but realize it didn't boot. Is it because I partitioned the drive before I cloned it? I don't want to hold up a ssd just to create a mirror image of possible.

 

[vulgo]

I have a 1tb hd that I split into two 500gb partition. I cloned my drive to one of them with super duper but realize it didn't boot

Clover should boot it. Is it not showing in the Clover menu? If so save a preboot.log with the backup connected.

 

[WandererRev]

Clover should boot it. Is it not showing in the Clover menu? If so save a preboot.log with the backup connected.

sorry for not replying for so long. I booted it again with verbose n it does boot. but its really really really really really slow. would the fact that I am copying from SSD to a HDD be a reason? I am using APFS right now on my main SSD and the HDD is formatted macOS extended journaled

 

[vulgo]

sorry for not replying for so long. I booted it again with verbose n it does boot. but its really really really really really slow. would the fact that I am copying from SSD to a HDD be a reason? I am using APFS right now on my main SSD and the HDD is formatted macOS extended journaled

The filesystems shouldn't matter, HFS+ is Apple's current recommendation a HDD. Replace VBoxHFS.efi with Apple's HFSPlus.efi in EFI/CLOVER/DRIVERS* if you haven't already. Boot might take a few minutes, longer sometimes if its busy doing caches, fsck etc. HDD boot is slow. Check SuperDuper settings are

• blessing the backup/making bootable
• NOT cloning UUIDs or other partition information, especially if the original SSD is still connected

You are seeing the backup as a separate option at the Clover menu? Does everything work correctly once it has started? Any unusual messages during boot? And it works the same without the original SSD connected?

 

[WandererRev]

sorry for the late late reply. I realized I forgot to duplicate my EFI folder to my new backup so maybe that caused some issues. before I attempt this again, how do I know if it cloned UUID or not? the original SSD remains attached. the only option I have checked off in super duper is copy ACLs from original drive. I do see the backup as a separate option.