Create separate Boot and Data volumes on new Mac, before using Migration Assistant ?

This is interesting, it advocates for dividing the internal SSD into a Boot volume and a Data volume, where you will copy all your Home folder stuff, and then store all your new files.

He does not go into how to make the system start USING the Data volume instead of the normal Home folder.

He does not suggest the necessary size for the Boot volume, or its exact contents.

He does not talk about which volume the Applications Folder should go in.

He does not talk about setting it up on a computer that has several Users.

He does not talk about if the Data volume will respect the usual Permissions - ie your Home folder is password protected since it is in the Users folder. I don't want to do this & then find out that every time I want to open a Home Folder item stored on the Data volume - it wants me to enter my password.

Can I create these to Volumes prior to using Migration Assistant, so the Home folder stuff is still empty, AND tell Migration Assistant to put my incoming Home folder stuff into the Data volume ?

https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/88115-backup-best-practices-add-a-separate-macos-volume-for-important-data-instead-of-storing-it-all-in-the-home-directory/

MacBook Pro (M3, 2023)

Posted on Feb 29, 2024 5:03 PM

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Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

141,107 points

Posted on Feb 29, 2024 5:15 PM

That is an interesting thought exercise, but MacOS already separates all the system stuff into a separate Volume. When you only create an additional volume on the SAME drive, you are adding complexity for NO benefit.

If you note the source, OWC sells external drives, and it is certainly in their best interest to have you move your home folder onto a drive you bought from them.

I do not recommend you do that unless you are using an external drive, and live copying your data around, NOT at time of Migration.

Migration is difficult enough. Do you really want the needless complexity of adding a different volume organization at the point of Migration? I suggest NOT.

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Mar 2, 2024 10:36 PM in response to MrHoffman

"Scrounge a decent-sized USB HDD, use it for Time Machine on the old Mac (once), swap it over, and import it (migrate it) using Setup Assistant on the new Mac, and then re-use the HDD for backups of the new Mac.

A USB HDD is immediately useful in the target configuration for Time Machine. At most, you need a USB-C to USB-A adapter on this path, and Apple offers a good choice there."

So you are saying that an external drive should solve the problem of connecting the two macs by using a USB-C to USB-C cable? But isn't there a TB 1/2 (Mini Display) to TB 3/4 (Thunderbolt) cable available? Or maybe only TB 1 is the Mini Display connector?

I have clone backups using SuperDuper, is a Time Machine backup superior for migrating?

Any problems if the new computer is formatted to APFS and the old one is HFS ?

Mar 2, 2024 11:28 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

sorry, i did not see you previous post about migration methods and devices.

Migration to a new Mac:

snip

If you could use Ethernet through your Router to BOTH Macs, that would be much faster.

My DSL router has two empty Ethernet ports. My 2011 MBP 17" has an ethernet port, a Thunderbolt 1 port ( the Mini Display, squarish port) , 3 USB ports, and a Firewire 800 port.

My new Refurb 2023 MBP has nothing but Thunderbolt ports.

Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter used about $33

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011K4RKFW/

So new mac to adapter to Cat6 Ethernet cable to router

and

old mac to ethernet cable to router ???

if your old Mac is running 10.12 Sierra or later it can establish an Ad-hoc private Wi-fi connection to the new Mac when placed near the new Mac and both running Migration Assistant.

I am planning on upgrading El Capitan to High Sierra, as per recommendation by AppleCare, the tech said Migration Assistant can have problems with El Capitan.

What would be faster, the WiFi or the Ethernet ?

Will Migration Assistant utilize Target Disk Mode ?

I guess I would start Migration Assistant in the old computer first, then open it in the new computer, and follow the prompts from the NEW computer? Or will both computers require me to key input or make selections?

Mar 3, 2024 7:02 AM in response to firstname lastname

Ethernet is far faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi.

the adapter you cited is a thunderbolt-2 adapter, not usable on your NEW Macs.

for a recent USB Mac, you want this one:

The Belkin USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter - Apple - US$29.95

Migration assistant does not use target disk mode, that reference was added for completeness to have a 'laundry list' of all relevant ways to make connections between Macs to copy lots of files.

Migration assistant has an initial setup that requires you to specify (on each computer) that you intend to make the connection to the other computer and perform migration. On the new computer, you specify what sunbset you want to bring over. Then its console is quiet for... seems like forever.

Remember that migration is a COPYING, not an 'import-and-delete'. The source files are NOT removed. If anything gets messed up, you can run it again.

MrHoffman

Level 10

146,917 points

Mar 3, 2024 8:45 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

For this case with this gear, networking-based migrations aside, a Hard Disk and Time Machine will get you there, and will provide a backup device for the new Mac.

Grant Bennet-Alder wrote:

…Ethernet is far faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi…

I’d be cautious with that generalization.

For older Wi-Fi installations and those with Wi-Fi interference or with Wi-Fi hardware issues, or for those with the oldest Wi-Fi gear that an ISP bought cheapest a decade ago and hasn’t yet replaced, probably.

For other Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E are often substantially faster than gigabit Ethernet, as is the recently-approved Wi-Fi 7.

And old and problematic wired networks like that can be 100 MbE or dodgy, too.

Mar 3, 2024 9:13 AM in response to MrHoffman

<< "…Ethernet is far faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi…"

I’d be cautious with that generalization...>>

MrHoffman--

You are right, your points are quite valid.. That's what it is, a very broad generalization, and there are MANY cases where it might fall apart.

The reason It us useful at all:

When individual Users at home are bringing along decades-old Macs up to modern Standards, they are unlikely to have the latest really fast Wi-Fi AND be close enough to the Router to actually attain 'better than Gigabit' speeds on their newer Mac.

The older Macs in these cases have NO HOPE of 'faster-than-Gigabit' speeds.

MacBook Pro models as old as the original 2006 MacBook Pro, when built-in Ethernet was available, have supported Gigabit Ethernet. (but it is quite true that sub-par cables and connecting equipment MAY limit speeds to 100 baseT speeds.)

Mar 7, 2024 4:12 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Well, I suppose I should pick the connection type which will be most reliable; I have to transfer 1.07 TB on a 2TB disk onto the new mac.

This weekend I might get around to upgrading the OSX on the old computer, if I can go thru the 150 or so tabs oen in Firefox.

Mar 7, 2024 7:25 PM in response to firstname lastname

I just upgraded my 2011 MacBook Pro from El Capitan to High Sierra 10.13.6. Someone posted a link to the upgrade download page. It scrambled the order of my Favorites in the left column of the Finder, and removed some Preferences - in particular those in Accessibility. That should not happen.

My wife has a 2010 MacBook Pro running Sierra 10.12.6 and the About This Mac says there is no upgrade for the OSX available. Is this because its a 2010? Where can I find the "rev zero" version of High Sierra? I can find 10.13.6 but it says it requires 10.13.5.

TIA

Mar 7, 2024 8:13 PM in response to firstname lastname

I found the "rev zero" High Sierra here:

How to download and install macOS

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

High Sierra:

macappstores://apps.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

Mar 7, 2024 8:17 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

<<. What is the nominal physical size of the SSD ? 250GB or 500GB. >>

<<<. The size of the Physical device, what ever you paid for.

No, I mean the size of the disk in your example image in your post number... this board does not number them !!!

AND when I scroll to look, I lose THIS reply box since its not at the bottom... YOUR TITLE:

Feb 29, 2024 9:59 PM in response to firstname lastname

APFS creates a APFS container-disk, and inside that container are these typical Volumes. This is a MacOS Mojave drive on an SSD:

Mar 8, 2024 7:51 AM in response to firstname lastname

<<. [size of] the disk in your example image. >>

That Mojave disk is a 120-ish GB SSD drive. Normally, that would be FAR too small for daily use. In this case, all user files are stored on other drives, so I "get away with it". If I were ever to use intensive applications that consumed virtual memory more than a trivial amount, that drive would fill up with swap space and crash. it currently has about 140 GB available, but that is not shown in Disk Utility.

you can see the reference to 120.03 GB on the top line in the table labeled 'Capacity', and again in a box just to the right of the device-name.

...

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Create separate Boot and Data volumes on new Mac, before using Migration Assistant ?