do I need to pause Time machine when I install Aperture 3 ?

You should make a current backup before installing any software anyway. So this would be not a problem, since TimeMachine is making hourly backups. A backup during installing shoud not be a problem, but later, when Aperture is running and you are working with your library, it is better to quit Aperture, before the Time Machine backup starts.

And you cannot restore your Aperture library from the backup, while Time Machine is backing up.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1878?viewlocale=en_US

Aperture is running and you are working with your library, it is better to quit Aperture, before the Time Machine backup starts.

Are you sure about this? Early versions of TM had a problem where if Aperture was running and TM did its backup there was a chance the whole library would be backed up rather then just the changes but I thought this was fixed in later versions of TM and/or Aperture.

If I had to anticipate when TM was about to run and then quit Aperture I'd really be disinclined to use it.

As for restoring, yes it is a good idea to stop TM whenever you restore anything from it.

If I had to anticipate when TM was about to run and then quit Aperture I'd really be disinclined to use it.

Not always, but you have to give TimeMachine a chance to make at least once a full backup. If Aperture or iPhoto are open, when Time Machine is running, you will only get incremental backups. I cannot find the corresponding Aperture document right now, but see this:

iPhoto '11: Back up your iPhoto library

Important: Time Machine can’t do a full backup of your iPhoto library when iPhoto is open. To ensure that Time Machine does a complete backup of your library, quit iPhoto periodically before backing up.

To restore photos, quit iPhoto, open the folder containing your iPhoto library, and then open Time Machine.

I noticed recently, that TM had never made a full backup of one of my Aperture libraries and was a bit scared, because I am relying heavily on TM. So I try to remember to quit Aperture before connecting my backup drive. It is not dramatic, if I do not do it everytime, but I make sure, I get a full backup of each library at least once, after I created it.

Early versions of TM had a problem where if Aperture was running and TM did its backup there was a chance the whole library would be backed up rather then just the changes but I thought this was fixed in later versions of TM and/or Aperture.

You are referring to this, right?

Mac OS X v10.5, 10.5.1, 10.5.2: Time Machine may back up the entire Aperture Library each time

In Mac OS X v10.5 through 10.5.2, Time Machine may perform a full backup (rather than incremental) of the Aperture Library, resulting in heavier-than-expected disk usage for Time Machine backups.

This can happen if the Aperture library is included in Time Machine backups and a backup occurs while Aperture is running. In this situation, Time Machine excludes the Aperture library from a backup while the application is running, but backs up the entire library once Aperture quits, rather than just the changes since the previous backup.

Resolution

Download and install Mac OS X v10.5.3 or later. Afterwards, when you use Time Machine it will perform incremental backups as expected.

Thanks for the info. Seems strange that they put thus out for iPhoto but not a similar one or Aperture.

As I don;t use iPhoto I've never run across that. The really should put one out for Aperture if the same applies.

Time Machine can’t do a full backup of your iPhoto library when iPhoto is open.

Of course the whole point of TM is not to do full backups but incrementals. If I did a full backup of my library each time, one it would take a long time and two I'd quickly run out of sapce on the TM drive.

regards

Of course the whole point of TM is not to do full backups but incrementals. If I did a full backup of my library each time, one it would take a long time and two I'd quickly run out of sapce on the TM drive.

regards

That was luckily fixed with the Mac OS X v10.5.3 backup - I only see incremental backups now, whether Aperture is running or not - that is working as advertised. But now the problem is to ensure to get at least one full backup.

Thanks everyone. Aperture 3 installed and backed up !

Good luck with Aperture!