Lmst

Disentangling timestamps with Dropera 2

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/29/disentangling-timestamps-with-dropera-2/

<p>Last week I drew attention to problems <a href="https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/24/be-careful-when-interpreting-apfs-timestamps/">interpreting the timestamps</a> of files in macOS, generating lively discussion with Chris and Richard. Although the gist of that article stands, it was clear that there remained several issues, and this sequel tries to address those better, with the aid of a new app, Dropera 2. The TL;DR for this article is that timestamps are even more complicated than I previously described.</p>
<p>The first task was to develop a tool for reading and recording these timestamps reproducibly. Although the four key timestamps are exposed in Precize, opening a file in that app is likely to change at least one of them. For a substitute I turned to an earlier SwiftUI demo, <a href="https://eclecticlight.co/2024/05/21/swiftui-on-macos-drag-and-drop-and-more/">Dropera</a>, with its drag-and-drop support to handle file URLs without opening, reading or otherwise changing the file.</p>
<h4>Timestamps</h4>
<p>This new version of Dropera had then to read the right timestamps and convert them into accessible dates and times. For some timestamps, we’re spoiled for choice: time of creation of a file, shown in the Finder as <strong>Date Created</strong>, is saved in an APFS file’s attributes as <code>create_time</code>, exposed in the <code>stat</code> command as <code>st_birthtime</code>, and accessible within an app’s code as the <code>NSFileCreationDate<

Be careful when interpreting APFS timestamps

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/24/be-careful-when-interpreting-apfs-timestamps/

$Timestamps on files and folders are important, and can be used for many different purposes, from sorting files to find the most recent, to providing evidence in court. Each file (and directory) in APFS has four separate timestamps you can use: <ul> <li>Created, termed in APFS <code>create_time</code>, gives “the time that this record was created”.</li> <li>Modified, <code>mod_time</code>, “the time that this record was last modified”.</li> <li>Last opened, <code>access_time</code>, “the time that this record was last accessed”.</li> <li>Attributes Modified, <code>change_time</code>, “the time that this record’s attributes were last modified”.</li> </ul> Although the Finder only displays those to the nearest second, the macOS API readily provides fractions of a second, commonly resolved to milliseconds, and the raw values are saved as nanoseconds since 00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970. The first three are those most commonly used, although the last can be relevant in backups in particular. If you want to see which file in a folder is the oldest there, look for the oldest time Created. If you want to know which was most recently changed, look for the latest Modified time. Where you must be careful is in interpreting those dates, as it’s easy to make assumptions that may not always work. The first con$

Resolve a file’s path from its inode number

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/08/resolve-a-files-path-from-its-inode-number/

<p>If you ever encounter an error when checking an APFS volume using First Aid in Disk Utility or <code>fsck_apfs</code>, you won’t be informed of the path and name of the item responsible, but given its inode number, in an entry like<br />
<code>warning: inode (id 402194151): Resource Fork xattr is missing for compressed file</code></p>
<p>The <a href="https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/04/explainer-inodes-and-inode-numbers/">inode number</a> given can only be resolved to a path and file/folder name if you also have a second number giving the volume for that item. As that will be for the volume being checked at the time, you should be able to identify that immediately. The only time that you might struggle to do that is with items in a snapshot; those should, I think, be the same as the volume they are taken from. However, as snapshots are read-only, there’s probably little point in pursuing errors in them.</p>
<p>To resolve these in my free utility <a href="https://eclecticlight.co/mints-a-multifunction-utility/">Mints</a>, open its <strong>inode Resolver</strong> using the Window / Data… / Inode menu command. Drag and drop another file from the same volume onto that window.</p>
<p><span class="alignnone"><img alt="mints1151" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-74687" src="https://eclecticlight.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/mints1151.jpg?w=940" /></span></p>
<p>The Resolver will then display that file’s volfs path, such as<br />
<code>/.vol/16777242/1241014<

🚀 Ah yes, the groundbreaking discovery that #APFS on #macOS isn’t perfect at parallel disk I/O, unearthed by running #Git and #pnpm into the ground. 😂 Because what better way to spend a weekend than watching your Mac gasp for air while you pretend to stress test it? 🤡
https://github.com/NullVoxPopuli/disk-perf-git-and-pnpm #diskIO #stressTest #HackerNews #ngated

disk-perf-git-and-pnpm aims to prove that something is wrong with APFS on macOS

https://github.com/NullVoxPopuli/disk-perf-git-and-pnpm

#HackerNews #diskperf #macOS #APFS #performance #issues #pnpm #git

What to do when APFS has problems

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/07/what-to-do-when-apfs-has-problems/

<p>You’ve just run First Aid in Disk Utility, or <code>fsck_apfs</code>, and that reports warnings or errors. What should you do next?</p>
<h4>Failure to unmount</h4>
<p>By far the most frequent error encountered in Disk Utility’s checks results from its inability to unmount a volume before it can start testing. While this is reported as an error, and it prevents the checks from running, it can sometimes be solved by manually unmounting the volume in question. It normally doesn’t indicate anything sinister, and is simply frustrating.</p>
<h4>Repeat in Recovery mode</h4>
<p>If the warnings or errors were reported on your current boot Data volume and you ran that check in normal user mode, consider starting your Mac up in Recovery mode to repeat the check there.</p>
<p>Although macOS does an impressive job of performing checks on a live volume, it’s more reliable and more likely to be able to perform any repairs needed in Recovery mode, when the Data volume isn’t mounted and live. When there, if you prefer, you can still use <code>fsck_apfs</code> in Terminal.</p>
<p><span class="alignnone"><img alt="diskutil05" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75268" src="https://eclecticlight.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/diskutil05.jpg?w=940" /></span></p>
<p><span class="alignnone"><img alt="diskutil06" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-75269" src="https://eclecticlight.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/diskutil06.jpg?w=940" /></span></p>
<p>The other case whe

🌘 解讀：inode 與 inode 編號 – Eclectic Light Company
➤ 檔案系統的基石：深入瞭解 inode 與其編號的工作原理
✤ https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/04/explainer-inodes-and-inode-numbers/
本文深入淺出地解釋了檔案系統中「inode」的概念及其編號的重要性。inode 是檔案系統用來唯一識別檔案和目錄的資料結構，而 inode 編號則是這個結構的唯一識別碼。文章對比了 macOS 舊版檔案系統 HFS+ 與新版 APFS 在 inode 處理上的差異，並闡述了 inode 在檔案複製、連結（包括符號連結、別名、硬連結）以及在 volume group 中的應用，說明瞭 inode 如何影響檔案的識別、管理及操作。
+ 這篇文章對 inode 的解釋非常清晰，特別是對於 HFS+ 和 APFS 的比較，讓過去模糊的概念豁然開朗。
+ 對於想要深入瞭解 macOS 檔案系統運作方式的用戶來說，這是一篇必讀的好文。
#檔案系統 #inode #APFS #HFS+

Explainer: inodes and inode numbers

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://eclecticlight.co/2025/10/04/explainer-inodes-and-inode-numbers/

<p>Every self-respecting file system identifies files and directories using numbered data structures. In most modern file systems, those data structures are known as <em>inodes,</em> and their numbers are <em>inode numbers,</em> sometimes shortened to <em>inodes.</em> The term is thought to be a contraction of <em>index node,</em> which certainly makes sense, but is lost in the mists of time.</p>
<p>In any file system, for example an individual APFS volume, the inode numbers uniquely identify each inode, and each object within that file system has its own inode. Whatever else the file system might do, the inode number identifies one and only one object within it. Thus one invariant way of identifying any file is by referencing the file system containing it, and its inode number.</p>
<h4>HFS+</h4>
<p>The Mac’s original native file systems, ending most recently in Mac OS Extended File System, or HFS+ from its origins in the Hierarchical File System, don’t use inodes as such, and don’t strictly speaking have inode numbers. Instead, the data structures for their files and folders are kept in Catalogue Nodes, and their numbers are Catalogue Node IDs, CNIDs.</p>
<p>With Mac OS X came Unix APIs, and their requirement to use inodes and inode numbers. As CNIDs are unique to each file and folder within an HFS+ volume, for HFS+ they are used as inode numbers, although in some ways they differ. CNIDs are unsigned 32-bit integers, with the numbers 0-15 reserved for syste

🌘 磁碟工具程式仍無法檢查與修復 APFS 卷宗與容器
➤ 手動繞過 macOS 磁碟工具程式的 APFS 檢測與修復障礙
✤ https://eclecticlight.co/2021/11/19/disk-utility-still-cant-check-and-repair-apfs-volumes-and-containers/
本文指出 macOS 磁碟工具程式在處理 APFS 格式的卷宗和容器時，長期存在無法順利卸載（unmount）的問題，導致「第一 सहाय」功能失效。作者透過實測發現，此問題在 Monterey 12.0.1 版本上更加嚴重。文章提供瞭解決方案，包括利用 macOS 復原模式下的磁碟工具程式，或更直接地透過終端機使用 `fsck_apfs` 指令來手動檢查與修復，並詳細說明瞭指令的各種選項及操作步驟。
+ 這個問題困擾我很久了，終於有人把解決方法說清楚。原來不是我搞不定，是 Apple 的工具在搞鬼！
+ 感謝作者分享，雖然是進階用法，但對於無法使用內建工具修復 APFS
#macOS #APFS #磁碟工具程式 #fsck_apfs #系統修復

Disk Utility still can't check and repair APFS volumes and containers

https://eclecticlight.co/2021/11/19/disk-utility-still-cant-check-and-repair-apfs-volumes-and-containers/

#HackerNews #DiskUtility #APFS #Volumes #Repair #macOS #TechNews #HackerNews

After years of reading that #TimeMachine backups couldn't be rsync'd and whatnot because hardlinks and more complicated directory hard links.

Something must have changed or the information I was reading was all wrong for networked TimeMachine backups. I believe hard links are heavily used in HFS+ and the newer APFS volumes. However for storing these on a networked share or none Apple filesystem they are placed in a "sparsebundle" which is disk image, on the underlying filesystem is stored as some metadata files and a number of "bands".

With that and TM being finicky at times, I finally decided to try moving my backups to NVMe from spinning rust. And it all worked!

I think it was: https://blog.fosketts.net/2015/07/22/how-to-use-mac-os-x-sparse-bundle-disk-images/ which gave me the right info for how "sparse bundles" work and can safely be rsyncd.

Also a special shout out for https://eclecticlight.co/ the depth of knowledge and the T2M2 utility for analysing TM Logs.

My new storage box is now faster and much quieter (no longer need to restrict backups to not run after 11pm).

Next changes:
- Upgrade networking to 2.5Gbe
- Set up `sanoid` and `syncoid` for zfs snapshots and send them to the spinning rust.

Shiny (and dusty) green motherboard for attention :P

#Linux #Samba #Apple #nvme #apfs #sparsebundle #zfs

Inside of my new storage server. Green motherboard with a Crucial NVMe SSD in an m.2 slot. A P620 GPU in the PCIe slot. Thin blue sata cables to the bottom of the frame.

Been researching on more backup tools usable on #macOS.
On thing that really stands out is the apparent lack (or refusal) to use #APFS filesystem snapshots as backup source even though the same tools support BTRFS or LVM2 snapshots just fine.

Would I like to try #BorgBackup or #Replit or #kopia - sure, but none of them supports working from snapshots so.. why bother :|

(I am not unhappy with #ArqBackup at all and I'll decide if I want to spend money on it once my 30 day trial is over but the three listed above are free, oss alternatives so why not check them)

🌘 Python 實現 macOS 節省空間的檔案複製技術
➤ 透過 Python 掌握 macOS APFS 的檔案複製奧祕
✤ https://alexwlchan.net/2025/cloning-with-python/
本文介紹如何在 macOS 上使用 Python 實現 APFS 檔案系統的「節省空間複製」功能。作者透過實際操作，展示了複製檔案時如何僅儲存一份資料，卻能產生多個獨立副本，節省大量磁碟空間並大幅提升複製速度。文中詳述了利用 `cp -c` 指令，以及透過 `ctypes` 呼叫 macOS 系統函式 `clonefile()` 的兩種 Python 實現方法，並探討了兩者的優缺點與實務應用。
+ 寫得真詳細，對於我們處理大量檔案的開發者來說，這功能太實用了！
+ 沒想到 macOS 原生就有這麼方便的功能，而且還能透過 Python 呼叫，長知識了！
#macOS #Python #APFS #Cloning #System Calls

Astuce : profiter des volumes APFS pour optimiser vos sauvegardes Time Machine http://dlvr.it/TL4DQX #TimeMachine #APFS

I regret initiating a transfer of my local #iPhone backups from an external SSD attached to my #Mac, to my #RaspberryPi #NAS.

I don't think the NAS itself is slow, it's surprisingly fast even compared to my main #TrueNAS NAS on my much beefier #Proxmox cluster (probably cos it's SSD-based, even if it's on a USB 3 interface) - it's prolly just bcos these backups are encrypted and comprised of tons, and tons of small files.

At the rate it's going, it'll prolly take several more days - eventho it's only like ~300+ Gigs. It prolly doesn't help that I'm doing this on my Mac either, considering how famously slow #macOS is for file transfers - no matter what local/remote storage drives are at play. It's an #APFS drive tho, so I don't have much choice.

Unless, this apfs-fuse project could help (me perform this transfer on #Linux)...

🔗 https://github.com/sgan81/apfs-fuse

@woolie I'd buy another 50TB and use your software of choice to make automated daily/weeky/etc incremental backups to 25TB of it, and to make regular backups of that to the other 25TB but keep that mostly offline.

For values of 25 and 50 that may vary with how much your data changes.

I currently do that (with two offline disk sets, so one is always off *site* as well) using #rsnapshot for the backups, all disk arrays being #APFS on a #Mac. The next version will be all #ZFS on #FreeBSD.

#Systèmedefichiers

Qu'est-ce qu'un Système de Fichiers ? Un système de fichiers est une méthode et une structure de stockage et d'organisation des données sur des supports de stockage tels que les disques durs, les SSD, les clés USB, et autres dispositifs de stockage. Il permet de gérer la manière dont les données sont enregistrées, récupérées, et organisées. Voici une explication détaillée de ce qu'est un système de fichiers, ses composants, ses types, et son importance. Composants d'un […]

https://project4geeks.org/systeme-de-fichiers/

Da Apple Mac meinen Rechner nicht mehr unterstützen mag, ist dort seit kurzem auch Linux Mint installiert.

Um von Linux aus auf die APFS formatierten Daten-Festplatte zugreifen zu können muss ich einen APFS-Fuse-Treiber installieren (damit kann ich meine Festplattendateien zumindest lesen – schreiben funktioniert derzeit damit nicht. Selbstversuch Fimchen 7:45 Min.:
https://tube.tchncs.de/w/p/tw3qmC82AmWtEqjgu3R3CQ?playlistPosition=2&resume=true

Für Linux Fans alle dazwischen und ausserhalb...
#Linux-Mint #APFS-FUSE #FCK-MAC #FCK-Win #UnplugTrump

TIL: you can mount (even encrypted) #APFS disks under #Linux with #FUSE and https://github.com/sgan81/apfs-fuse

#Apple #macOS

Hyperspace récupère de l’espace sur votre Mac grâce aux clones APFS http://dlvr.it/TJBHjr #Mac #APFS

#apfs

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