10.6: Exclude Software Update data in Time Machine backups

May 25, '10 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: adrian.nier

Snow Leopard only hintUsing the Time Machine preference pane, it is not possible to effectively exclude the data for the Software Update service from Time Machine backups on Mac OS X Server 10.6. A method is presented here which will do that.

By default the software downloaded from Apple’s servers necessary for the Software Update service is located at /private/var/db/swupd. When excluding this directory using the Time Machine preference pane the path is changed to /var/db/swupd (/var being a symbolic link to /private/var) and the data is still backed up. [crarko adds: This is for Snow Leopard Server only.]

To remove the Software Update service data from the backups, follow these steps using an administrative account:

  1. Exclude /private/var/db/swupd or /var/db/swupd in the Time Machine preference pane.
  2. Quit the System Preferences application.
  3. Open the Terminal application.
  4. Type the following commands:
  5. sudo -s
    cd /Library/Preferences
    plutil -convert xml1 com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
    pico com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
    
  6. Press ctrl-W to switch to search mode in pico
  7. Type swupd and press enter
  8. Change the path /var/db/swupd to /private/var/db/swupd
  9. Press ctrl-X to leave pico
  10. Press y to confirm
  11. Type exit to leave the root shell
  12. Type exit to leave your terminal session
  13. Quit the Terminal application
You might want to delete all previous backups of the /private/var/db/swupd directory. To do this, navigate to /private/var/db in the Finder (press cmd-shift-G), launch Time Machine, select the swupd folder and choose the Delete all backups of 'swupd' command from the gear button’s menu.

[crarko adds: I haven't tested this one.]

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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20100524084438338