"Local snapshots" takes up all resources - how to switch it off?

See Pondini's Time Machine FAQ #30

thanks, this only works until reboot, so unfortunately not much use

Since I usually only login after a reboot, it helped to define the following apple script and to add it to the start up items:

tell application "Terminal"

activate

do script "sudo tmutil disablelocal" in 0

end tell

open Utilities -> Apple Script Editor

Type in the script above

save it as an application

Open System Preferences -> Users and Groups -> Login Items

Select the current User and - in the left column- click "+"

Then select your new script.

The draw back will be that each time you log in you will be prompted for your super user password. So it will be annoying if you log in frequently. But at least you will not forget to turn off snapshots after a reboot.

Hi Efiole

I have also been surching for a way to turn local snapshots off before I upgrade to Lion (as like I don't want the space to be taken up on my HDD). I did see the Terminal command however I think I have found the solution within time machine now.

This areticle (see link, read yello box at top of article) says if you go into Time Machine Preferences and turn the large ON/OFF button to OFF that will tell Time Machine to stop making new snapshots and automatically start deleting previous ones. That is what I wanted to here.

Also importlantly the snapshots are only ever kept for a maximum of a week, no exceptions.

Finally if the HDD gets too full with snapshots they are also deleted. There is no documentation for the criteria of how full a drive should get but it says this depends on the size of the HDD.

Anyway read the article, see what you think.

http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/30.html

It may have just persuaded me to make the switch.

I also have a MBP with 4GB of RAM and 160 of space left.

Hi everyone,

Been trying to look at this local snapshot issue for the past 48 hrs..

Yes it's a feature and I now know how to utilize it better. Hopefully I can exclude some folders and files from being taken into those snapshots. (TM preferences seems to allow me to do that)

Unfortunately I have deleted more than 30GB worth of video files and my 120GB SDD space is completely empty.

Disabling the Time Machine feature doesn't solve my problem right now. I need to find a way to delete those snapshots immediately. Having "0" space left is major bomb.

I can't seem to find any info on deleting snapshots... Pondini's article seems to reflect that it will go away after a week or 2. Can't wait that long.. ;(

Anyone has any other suggestions?

THanks.

leonie,

Would it be resonable to start the script with "password >su "Logon Id"" if a user wanted to avoid the additional password prompt after logging in? —Also, considering a given user might not want to place his or her password in a script or file to be passed the the su command he might consider shutting the big (on / off) button in "Time Machine" to "Off." In my case, it seems to stay off until I turn it back on.

Sincerest Regards,

Easy Living

PS

Should it be Password > su "Logon ID"

or

should it be [more password.file | su "Logon ID"] where "password.file" would contain the user's password?