backup

NOTE: The following is not about backup, but cp/rsync like tools.

Links

asr
- In device mode, it is as good a low level duplicate of the disk as you can get.
ditto
rsync can do it too – but remember to pass the -E flag
- -E, --extended-attributes → copy extended
- Try this using the macports version of rsync: sudo $RSYNC -avNHAX --protect-args --fileflags --force-change --rsync-path=$RSYNC SRC_DIR/ DST_DIR/ attributes, resource forks. e.g. Pass rsync -aEx ….
- However, this has to be the OS X rsync. The GNU version uses -E to mean "preserve executability" or something like that.
hdiutil
- e.g. sudo hdiutil create ~/backup.dmg -format UDZO -nocrossdev -srcdir ~/dir_to_backup
Try to preserve:
- ownership, permissions, creation and modification times
- Finder flags and Finder comments
- Finder locked flag
- BSD flags, symlink ownership, extended attributes
See also:
- n8gray/Backup-Bouncer
  - A metadata test suite for OS X backup tools – http://n8gray.org/code/backup-bouncer
- Make Back Ups from the Command Line in Mac OS X with These 4 Tricks
- Mac Tips: Guide to Backing Up Mac OS X
- (2006) Are you copying all the information about your files that you need?
  - Dated article but it seems to show that Finder preserves the most information. (Obviously, asr in device mode beats that.)

n8gray/Backup-Bouncer results

RSYNC=/opt/local/bin/rsync
sudo $RSYNC -avNHAX --protect-args --fileflags --force-change --rsync-path=$RSYNC SRC_DIR/ DST_DIR/

Results

Sat 20:40:54 2014-09-27 @cheshire: [g:Backup-Bouncer master] // % sudo ./bbouncer copy -d /Volumes/tstSrc /Volumes/tstDst
src = /Volumes/tstSrc
dst = /Volumes/tstDst
Enabling owners on src/dst disks
/dev/disk5s1 on /Volumes/tstSrc (hfs, local, journaled)
/dev/disk6s1 on /Volumes/tstDst (hfs, local, journaled)
Cleaning.........
Copying with:          rsync-apple ...



^CFAIL
Copying with:       rsync-macports ... ok
Copying with:           rsync-fink ... Skipping: can't find needed files
ok
Copying with:             cp-apple ... ok
Copying with:                ditto ... ok
Copying with:                  tar ...
ok
Copying with:                  pax ... ok
Copying with:            xar-apple ... ok
Copying with:              xar-svn ... Skipping: can't find needed files
ok

------------------ rsync-apple ------------------
This copier exited with error code 20
This copier produced log output in:
   /Volumes/tstDst/10-rsync-apple/log
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... ok
Verifying:            hardlinks ... ok (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... FAIL (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... FAIL
Verifying:        creation-date ... FAIL
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... FAIL
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... ok
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... ok
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... FAIL
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... FAIL

------------------ rsync-macports ------------------
This copier produced log output in:
   /Volumes/tstDst/15-rsync-macports/log
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... ok
Verifying:            hardlinks ... ok (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... ok (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... ok
Verifying:        creation-date ... ok
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... ok
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... ok
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... ok
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... ok
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... ok

------------------ rsync-fink ------------------
    This copier was skipped

------------------ cp-apple ------------------
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... ok
Verifying:            hardlinks ... FAIL (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... FAIL (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... ok
Verifying:        creation-date ... FAIL
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... ok
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... ok
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... ok
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... ok
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... FAIL

------------------ ditto ------------------
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... ok
Verifying:            hardlinks ... ok (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... ok (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... ok
Verifying:        creation-date ... FAIL
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... ok
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... ok
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... FAIL
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... ok
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... ok

------------------ tar ------------------
This copier produced log output in:
   /Volumes/tstDst/50-tar/log
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... ok
Verifying:            hardlinks ... ok (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... ok (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... ok
Verifying:        creation-date ... FAIL
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... ok
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... ok
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... ok
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... ok
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... FAIL

------------------ pax ------------------
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... FAIL
Verifying:            hardlinks ... ok (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... ok (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... FAIL
Verifying:        creation-date ... FAIL
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... FAIL
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... FAIL
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... ok
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... ok
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... ok

------------------ xar-apple ------------------
Verifying:    basic-permissions ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:           timestamps ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:             symlinks ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:    symlink-ownership ... ok
Verifying:            hardlinks ... ok (Important)
Verifying:       resource-forks ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Critical)
   Sub-test:  on hardlinked files ... ok (Important)
Verifying:         finder-flags ... ok (Critical)
Verifying:         finder-locks ... ok
Verifying:        creation-date ... FAIL
Verifying:            bsd-flags ... ok
Verifying:       extended-attrs ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:       on directories ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:          on symlinks ... ok
Verifying: access-control-lists ...
   Sub-test:             on files ... ok (Important)
   Sub-test:              on dirs ... ok (Important)
Verifying:                 fifo ... ok
Verifying:              devices ... ok
Verifying:          combo-tests ...
   Sub-test:  xattrs + rsrc forks ... ok
   Sub-test:     lots of metadata ... FAIL

------------------ xar-svn ------------------
    This copier was skipped
S