Backup script OS 8.6

[Adrian Tuddenham]

OS 8.6 on a beige G3.

I am looking for a way of mirroring one drive to another using a backup
script once per day at shutdown. I have tried several commercial
programs but they all have disadvantages.

Is there an applescript command (or a downloadable script) that will
copy from one disk to another only the files that have been modified
since the last backup date, or is it a matter of writing a complex
program to do it file by file and folder by folder?

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

[Jolly Roger]

On 2017-03-06, Adrian Tuddenham <adr...@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
> OS 8.6 on a beige G3.

Probably a good idea to cross/post this to comp.sys.mac.vintage. ; )

> I am looking for a way of mirroring one drive to another using a backup
> script once per day at shutdown. I have tried several commercial
> programs but they all have disadvantages.

Back in the day, I always used Retrospect to do backups like that.

You might try Folders Synchronizer. It's been around since System 7, and
they still have old versions available for download on the web site
(look for "Previous Versions" on this page):

<http://www.softobe.com/folderssynchronizer.html>

> Is there an applescript command (or a downloadable script) that will
> copy from one disk to another only the files that have been modified
> since the last backup date, or is it a matter of writing a complex
> program to do it file by file and folder by folder?

I don't have any Macs or emulators running 8.6, but in Mac OS 9 there
is a "duplicate" command that will copy a specified file or folder to a
specified destination:

set source to ((the path to the desktop as string) & "Batch Stuff") as
alias
set destination to ((the path to the desktop as string) & "Test:") as
alias

tell application "Finder"
duplicate file source to file destination with replacing
end tell

The task of figuring out which files have been modified would be up to
you as well. That can be scripted as well, but unless you are familiar
with AppleScript, you're in for a learning curve.

Here's how to get the modification date of a specified file, "source":

tell application "Finder"
set modDate to the modification date of (file source)
log modDate
end tell

Again, this is in Mac OS 9.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

[Adrian Tuddenham]

Jolly Roger <jolly...@pobox.com> wrote:

> On 2017-03-06, Adrian Tuddenham <adr...@poppyrecords.invalid.invalid> wrote:
> > OS 8.6 on a beige G3.
>
> Probably a good idea to cross/post this to comp.sys.mac.vintage. ; )

Thanks, I might try that.

> > I am looking for a way of mirroring one drive to another using a backup
> > script once per day at shutdown. I have tried several commercial
> > programs but they all have disadvantages.
>
> Back in the day, I always used Retrospect to do backups like that.

I have a copy somewhere but for some reason I gave up using it; can't
remember why, but it might have been because of the number of CDRs it
used. If that was the case, I might give it another try now I have
duplicate HDs.

For ages I used Redux, but the number of files exceeded its memory
system and it failed. Then I used LaCie SilverKeeper- but that also had
a file limit and several other intermittent problems that I never
identified.

> You might try Folders Synchronizer. It's been around since System 7, and
> they still have old versions available for download on the web site
> (look for "Previous Versions" on this page):
>
> <http://www.softobe.com/folderssynchronizer.html>

Thanks, I didn't know about that.

> > Is there an applescript command (or a downloadable script) that will
> > copy from one disk to another only the files that have been modified
> > since the last backup date, or is it a matter of writing a complex
> > program to do it file by file and folder by folder?
>
> I don't have any Macs or emulators running 8.6, but in Mac OS 9 there
> is a "duplicate" command that will copy a specified file or folder to a
> specified destination:
>
> set source to ((the path to the desktop as string) & "Batch Stuff") as
> alias
> set destination to ((the path to the desktop as string) & "Test:") as
> alias
>
> tell application "Finder"
> duplicate file source to file destination with replacing
> end tell

I wonder how that differs from the Copy command?

> The task of figuring out which files have been modified would be up to
> you as well. That can be scripted as well, but unless you are familiar
> with AppleScript, you're in for a learning curve.

I've written a few simple Applescripts, but have a lot re-learning to do
on the infrequent occasions when I need another one.

> Here's how to get the modification date of a specified file, "source":
>
> tell application "Finder"
> set modDate to the modification date of (file source)
> log modDate
> end tell

> Again, this is in Mac OS 9.

I'll check your examples and see if they run in OS 8.6

Once again, thanks for your reply.

[Jolly Roger]

Again I only have Mac OS 9 running at the moment; but in it, the "copy"
command copies stuff to the clipboard. And there is no corresponding paste
command. I'm betting 8.6 is similar.

>> The task of figuring out which files have been modified would be up to
>> you as well. That can be scripted as well, but unless you are familiar
>> with AppleScript, you're in for a learning curve.
>
> I've written a few simple Applescripts, but have a lot re-learning to do
> on the infrequent occasions when I need another one.
>
>> Here's how to get the modification date of a specified file, "source":
>>
>> tell application "Finder"
>> set modDate to the modification date of (file source)
>> log modDate
>> end tell
>
>> Again, this is in Mac OS 9.
>
> I'll check your examples and see if they run in OS 8.6
>
> Once again, thanks for your reply.

Welcome!

[John]

It sounds like "Free Backup" is just what you're looking for.

Runs on OS 7.5 - 9.2. 50,000 downloads in its day from Version Tracker and download.com. Well-reviewed. As its name suggests, free.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6bzsgucf231rdnl/Free%20Backup%203.1.1.sit?dl=0

John R.