Time Machine won't allow the selection of a network disk as a backup destination.

Sonoma 14.1.2 (23B92); Mac mini M2. Running Ubuntu/Samba/netatalk on Raspberry pi; can connect to server and access shared volumes; it's just that time machine won't backup to the mounted network drive.

Regards,

Jerry

Mac mini, macOS 14.1

Posted on Dec 2, 2023 11:30 PM

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4 replies

dwb

Level 7

33,196 points

Dec 3, 2023 1:45 PM in response to JerryEasley

Using TM on a 3rd party network server has always been - well problematic would be one word for it. I’ve used a Synergy NAS for quite some time and I won’t go into all the issues, fixes, updates, and hair pulled out. The bottom line is that if you are lucky TM backups over a NAS will work fine until a MacOS update or upgrade breaks it. Then, if you are lucky an OS update for your NAS will fix the problem until the next time. That’s if you are lucky. If you are unlucky your TM backups will stop updating for some inexplicable reason and starting all over will be your only solution. So, my backups on the NAS aren’t TM backups, I use a 3rd party app. I also backup to 2 external SSDs using TM because I like to keep a backup offsite.

JerryEasley Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 2, 2023 11:35 PM in response to JerryEasley

I can't get this to work on mi old iMac either; Catalina 10.15.7

Dec 3, 2023 12:41 AM in response to JerryEasley

Does this help:

https://tidbits.com/2022/01/14/network-time-machine-backups-moving-on-from-the-time-capsule/

JerryEasley Author

Level 1

12 points

Dec 4, 2023 3:05 PM in response to dwb

Thank you for your kind reply. In other words, Time Machine doesn't work on network mounted drives and I cannot reasonably believe that Apple will fix it

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Time Machine won't allow the selection of a network disk as a backup destination.