Rules - Including the User Library Only

[gmoe]

I'm having a bit of trouble getting a rule working to include backing up the Library folder in the Users directory, but not the system wide Library directory in /Library.

 

My backup strategy includes backing up everything except:

MacPath contains /System/

MacPath contains /Applications/

MacPath contains/System Folder/

 

But obviously excluding...

 

MacPath contains /Library/

 

also excludes /Users/Library

 

I've tried excluding just ...

 

MacPath begins with /Library

 

but that doesn't work either.

 

Any hints greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[CallMeDave]

My backup strategy includes backing up everything except:

MacPath contains /System/

MacPath contains /Applications/

MacPath contains/System Folder/

 

So what _do_ you want to back up? Because the above is still going to copy /sbin and /bin and /private (which includes /etc and /tmp and /var) and the mach_kenrnel file.

 

Perhaps it would make more sense for you to start with the highest level folder that you _do_ want; perhaps define /Users/ as a Favorite, and use that as your starting point for rules.

[gmoe]

Thanks for your response.

 

I want to back up the whole Users folder and I must take into account the possibility of users saving files on the root of the hard drive. But, I do not need anything else on root, except /etc.

 

So basically, I need...

/Users

/etc

and any sparse file a user saves to /

[Maser]

Since there are still no wild cards here for rules (unless I've just not stumbled on this), one option would be to do *two* backups per client:

 

One that just backs up the "Users" folder as a favorite folder

 

And one that backs up only what you do *not* exclude from the root level.

 

Might that work? (It's a harder way to do what you want, certainly.)

 

A different backup strategy would probably be to just inform your users (repeatedly until they get the point) that you are only backing up the "Users" folder on the clients and it's up to them not to leave stuff they don't want backed up elsewhere (they can make aliases to files/folders and put those on the root if they want.)

 

That's what I do here and have done for years.

[CallMeDave]

one option would be to do *two* backups per client:

 

And where the feature request that I've been making for years (in person at trade shows and by email and by forum posts) to have the ability to have a Favorite Folder (and before that a Subvolume) be excluded from backup _without being scanned_ in the process, would come in so handy.

 

Sigh.

 

Dave