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User profile for user: rafael_grether
rafael_grether Author
User level: Level 1
40 points

Too many Partitions and Two "Data" Volumes

Hello,


I'm so confused about System Partition.

I have a Big Sur (clean install) with last updates.


I open Disk Utility, that shows me 3 partitions:

  • com.apple.os.update-... (15Gb used) --> I believe that is a Base OS System.
  • Macintosh HD - Data (160Gb used) --> My Applications and Data, I guess.
  • Macintosh HD - Data (1MB used) --> I don't know what is this!


In other word, two "Data" (below):



So, i decided to see it on diskutil. Diskutil show me 6 (six) partitions:


So, my question is, why exists two "Macintosh HD - Data" ?

One of them is empty (disk1s1 - /Volumes/Macintosh HD - Data). Why? Can I delete it?


Another doubt, the volumes disk1s6s1 (mounted at / ) and disk1s5 (mounted at /Systems/Volume/Data) seems the same directory. But I dont found any symlink appointed to other, except home folder (/home -> /System/Volumes/Data/home).


Its extremely confused to me.


Can anyone help me, or explain that?


Thanks!

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Oct 15, 2021 1:53 PM

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User profile for user: Barney-15E
Barney-15E
User level: Level 10
117,112 points

Posted on Oct 15, 2021 2:43 PM

I open Disk Utility, that shows me 3 partitions:

They are not partitions. They are volumes which are sort of a virtual division of the APFS equivalent of a partition called a Container.

So, my question is, why exists two "Macintosh HD - Data" ?

You somehow reinstalled the OS without removing the old Data volume.

One of them is empty (disk1s1 - /Volumes/Macintosh HD - Data). Why? Can I delete it?

Yes, you can Remove the one that doesn't have the Home badge on it (second one in list). Select it and select the Remove Volume button.

Another doubt, the volumes disk1s6s1 (mounted at / ) and disk1s5 (mounted at /Systems/Volume/Data) seems the same directory. But I dont found any symlink appointed to other, except home folder (/home -> /System/Volumes/Data/home).

You can mount a volume anywhere any number of times--they are not symlinks. However, those two are not the same. disk1s6s1 is the same as Macintosh HD, but is the Sealed APFS snapshot of the system volume. You can read up on APFS snapshots, but they are just a virtually zero-space pointer to the data on disk. Not really a symlink.

/System/Volumes/Data is the mount point for Macintosh HD - Data (your data and third-party applications).

Finder merges the OS Volume and the Data Volume into one entity in the GUI, and you can find various locations that appear to be duplicates of other locations in the file system.


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User profile for user: Barney-15E
Barney-15E
User level: Level 10
117,112 points

Oct 15, 2021 2:43 PM in response to rafael_grether

I open Disk Utility, that shows me 3 partitions:

They are not partitions. They are volumes which are sort of a virtual division of the APFS equivalent of a partition called a Container.

So, my question is, why exists two "Macintosh HD - Data" ?

You somehow reinstalled the OS without removing the old Data volume.

One of them is empty (disk1s1 - /Volumes/Macintosh HD - Data). Why? Can I delete it?

Yes, you can Remove the one that doesn't have the Home badge on it (second one in list). Select it and select the Remove Volume button.

Another doubt, the volumes disk1s6s1 (mounted at / ) and disk1s5 (mounted at /Systems/Volume/Data) seems the same directory. But I dont found any symlink appointed to other, except home folder (/home -> /System/Volumes/Data/home).

You can mount a volume anywhere any number of times--they are not symlinks. However, those two are not the same. disk1s6s1 is the same as Macintosh HD, but is the Sealed APFS snapshot of the system volume. You can read up on APFS snapshots, but they are just a virtually zero-space pointer to the data on disk. Not really a symlink.

/System/Volumes/Data is the mount point for Macintosh HD - Data (your data and third-party applications).

Finder merges the OS Volume and the Data Volume into one entity in the GUI, and you can find various locations that appear to be duplicates of other locations in the file system.


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User profile for user: rafael_grether
rafael_grether Author
User level: Level 1
40 points

Oct 15, 2021 4:21 PM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks for your attention, Barney.


When I installed Bug Sur, Disk Util showed me Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD - Data.

So, installed it on Macintosh HD. I didn't know I needed to delete the old Macintosh HD - Data. I think macOS should use the same volume.


Each Installation, a new Macintosh - Data is created?

I don't understand why not use the same volume.


But you clarified my doubts.


Thanks!

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Too many Partitions and Two "Data" Volumes

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