Backup using SuperDuper from SSD 256 to SSD 500 File Format

[csat]

Hi

I've installed Mojave to a 256 GB SSD and then I copied to a larger 500 GB SSD using SuperDuper. First SuperDuper copied all files from source to destination and, then, I mounted the source EFI partition and copied/pasted to the destination EFI partition.

I noticed that the source SSD format is APPLE APFS but the destination SSD with 500 GB is HFS format. Should I have taken any action or give any parameter to SuperDuper in order to have also APPLE APFS at the destination SSD?

Is it good having HFS format instead of APFS so that I should disregard about it?

Thanks

 

[itwas]

superdupler or carbon copy cloner would not format your destination drive, you can make your choice, apfs or hfs+, it is just up to you.

the idea is : format the destination drive yourself

 

[csat]

Thanks. I was not aware of that.

Regards

 

[itwas]

Thanks. I was not aware of that.

Regards

I would recommend you try both of them first, to take a look the final result. if you choose to use HFS+, the original APFS, preboot, recovery partitions ... may not be restored to the destination drive.

I would prefer HFS+, because I don't use filevault, I don't need recovery partitions. Most important, I can read the files in HFS+ partition in linux easily.

 

[csat]

I would recommend you try both of them first, to take a look the final result. if you choose to use HFS+, the original APFS, preboot, recovery partitions ... may not be restored to the destination drive.

I would prefer HFS+, because I don't use filevault, I don't need recovery partitions. Most important, I can read the files in HFS+ partition in linux easily.

Well, I've just formatted another spare SSD with the same size with disk utility and this time I chose APFS for my destination disk. I was in doubt if the HFS source disk would contaminate the destination disk using SUPERDUPER. At the end of backup I copied EFI partition from source to destination, replace the source SSD by the destination SSD and check its format with diskutil list from a terminal. Uau, it is APFS and not HFS.

It is a good point about HFS being read by Linux. I also use it here as a server, including an old PC which is now running FreeNas, BSD based. I've heard that APFS would give an extra protection but you made your point regarding Linux access which is also important.

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[itwas]

seems that SuperDuper is not as good as Carbon Carbon Cloner, I would prefer CCC at least it works as I expected.
The last time I tested SD 3.2, it failed to restore all the APFS partitions to the destination drive formatted as APFS.

 

[csat]

seems that SuperDuper is not as good as Carbon Carbon Cloner, I would prefer CCC at least it works as I expected.
The last time I tested SD 3.2, it failed to restore all the APFS partitions to the destination drive formatted as APFS.

Well, I tried CCC and found it such complex but also rich of details to be explored. I ordered SD but also installed CCC for trial purposes.

By the way, is it possible to make a backup image of all files and EFI partition and then recover from them to disk? I have my system and EFI backup to the external server (FreeNas) but I wasn't able to recover from that image. I think I couldn't mount the image to the destination disk. I noticed that CCC mounts it automatically when I drag the data image and drop it to the source area of CCC. I've created two tasks, one for data and other for EFI but I have failed to get all stuff back or mounted to a bootable SSD disc.

Thanks again.

 

[itwas]

Well, I tried CCC and found it such complex but also rich of details to be explored. I ordered SD but also installed CCC for trial purposes.

By the way, is it possible to make a backup image of all files and EFI partition and then recover from them to disk? I have my system and EFI backup to the external server (FreeNas) but I wasn't able to recover from that image. I think I couldn't mount the image to the destination disk. I noticed that CCC mounts it automatically when I drag the data image and drop it to the source area of CCC. I've created two tasks, one for data and other for EFI but I have failed to get all stuff back or mounted to a bootable SSD disc.

Thanks again.

CCC or SD does not touch your EFI partition.
I just using zip to backup the EFI files, and keep the copies in the NAS and the EFI partition (everytime I make changes or update the clover version, I make a backup first.).
I also have bootable macOS Clover USB drives, how to restore the EFI files is not a problem for me, store the EFI is not a daily routine job.
Restores the EFI files is not difficult, boot from the linux USB drive, mount the EFI partition, unzip the EFI backup.

 

[csat]

CCC or SD does not touch your EFI partition.
I just using zip to backup the EFI files, and keep the copies in the NAS and the EFI partition (everytime I make changes or update the clover version, I make a backup first.).
I also have bootable macOS Clover USB drives, how to restore the EFI files is not a problem for me, store the EFI is not a daily routine job.
Restores the EFI files is not difficult, boot from the linux USB drive, mount the EFI partition, unzip the EFI backup.


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Ok, I will give it a try your way tomorrow considering it is a different approach. I do have to figure out on how to change the way I was thinking about an image backup.

Thanks again.