duplicate partition size requirements

[Bob Brubaker]

Hi,

 

I have a Mac G5, running OS 10.3.8 and Retrospect Backup 5.1

 

I would like to know what the partition size requirements are for duplicate.

 

I want to know if I can duplicate the partition containing the OS to a smaller partition on an external drive. The OS on a 70 GB partition, but it only is using 10 GB leaving 60 GB free space. Can I dupe it to my external backup drive with a partition of lets say 20 GB?

 

Currently it is duplicated to another 70 GB partition, and a test boot shows it works just great! (Thank you Retrospect)

 

My reasoning is this. For some reason I created the main OS partition MUCH to big. This both takes up extra space on my back up media (I would like to be able to fit several complete backups at various stages on one drive) and leaves less room for other uses of space for large files like Final Cut movies...

 

Thus my plan is after making sure all data is backed up to reformat the computer HD but making a smaller partition for the HD such as 20 GB, and then booting from my LaCie HD with the 70 GB, duplicate back to the now small 20 GB HD on the Mac. IE this way I can recreate the OS on the Mac with a much smaller partition without having to manually reinstall and configure all software which takes me over a day.

 

I think I read in Ted Landau’s ‘Mac OSX Help Desk’ for Panther to use only an equal or larger HD.

 

I would think that if Retrospect is just copying all files and their links... then it would work, but if it is copying everything file, and ‘blank space’, then there would not be enough room to fit all that ‘blank space’ if the destination disk is smaller than the source.

 

On a side note, do you know what the recommendations are for partition sizes for OS X anyway, ie do you need double the space of the actual install so my 10 GB install needs 20, 50, or just 10?

 

Thank you so much in advance for your time.

 

Bob

[RonaldL]

Retrospect copies things at the file/folder level, it won't copy any of the "blank space".