Backup, security, switching from Linux

Hey all. Just got the MBP sitting on the desk now. Never used one before.

1. Is it OK to share a user account with my wife or does that make nonsense since data and settings can be shared anyway? I'd then have a login for Chrome separately

2. If the O/S goes really **** up itself... Can I download something to USB to correct it? I want to backup only /home to save backup size.

3. Not sure how bad my wife is with security but I have to assume the worst. My approach before was checks at the browser by auto scanning downloads and putting the browser in a 3rd party sandbox like hitman.Pro. Reason for this is that I don't like a virus scanner running all the time.

4. Wife has already maxed out iCloud 5gb via iPhone. Probably upgrade to 50gb. Plan to backup only the iPhone here because lack of support on Android. Her photos are already on drop box and that's maxed too. I use mega only for photos but I have space. For the Mac itself I'm Thinking to do home directories backup only to a low profile SDcard (mbp) ... But the drive is 256gb so I'd need a massive card? . I don't really want to be plugging my 512gb USB hard drive in. I'm looking for cost effective minimum.

5. Somewhere I can read about stuff from a Linux switcher point of view? Command line, some OSS repository? Of course I can Google but you might know better

Are you coming from a Linux background with Windows background too? Because OS X is very different.

1. You could share a user account if you wish. But if you choose to use two accounts you will not be sharing data - that is the purpose of two accounts, to keep data separate. Also settings can be individualized with two accounts.

2. OS X has this nice utility called Time Machine. All you have to do is set up an external drive or as I do, use a time capsule, and let it do your backups which will be automatic every time the external drive is attached. Rolling it back is super simple. Also I use Carbon Copy Cloner to create an external clone of my main drive and I update it weekly. You can make a USB of your current version of OS X or just download it from the internet again and install it.

3. Security is really different in OS X. First - the recommendation of most of us on this forum is you do not need anti-virus as most are written for Windows. I have never run it and have had no issues. I do run as browser extensions, uBlock Origin and Ghostery to keep malware issues away. I also periodically scan with Malwarebytes for mac but to date no issues have come up. Plus Gatekeeper will prevent downloads unless you specifically allow them in security settings.

4. I think a usb external drive will be cheaper but what ever. I would end up losing the card! As I said I love my Time Capsule - which also handles my home wireless. It just backs up and does so over the wireless connection.

5. Not sure what you are wanting here.

Lisa

You can share data, but by default data is NOT shared. As I recall, each user has a "Public" folder for sharing. It's read only to other users, but they can read it, copy to their own space, edit and put in their Public area for others to get back. So if you WANT to share something, use the Public folders to move back and forth. You can also share with a network drive like Time Capsule or any similar NAS type storage.

Lisa gave you great advice on how to avoid most of the bad stuff out there. No need for A/V, I've not used it in eight years. I also use Ghostery in Safari, and I don't have Java on the system because I don't need it and don't want the risks.

Malwarebytes is great at removing any hijackers you may stumble into browsing.

About the only utility you may need is Onyx from titanium.free.fr. Get the proper version for your version of OS X. Use it about every six months, or when you see weird things happening. Don't change the default settings, the developer has it set for the 99% user.

Avoid downloads from aggregators like Softonic, Downloads, CNET, etc. Stick with the Mac App Store (where Apple vets the apps) or with the developer sites directly. Most of the aggregator sites now "bundle" things into the download that you don't want/need.

Avoid the temptation to disable Apple's security features (Gatekeeper, SIP, etc). They work well, don't really get in the way and serve a purpose.

Welcome to the Mac world, it's a lot more "use" the machine and a lot less "maintain" the machine.

As Steve Jobs said, "It just works." Still pretty true.

Thanks.

Thanks Lisa. Yes, Linux and Windows experience.

They say backup is best to put offsite. We are moving out of the country and away from parents so I could get this TimeCapsule thing to help share files between everyone via the internet but also act as offsite backup for us via TimeMachine. We have a modem and a cheap router but the router is WiFi only. If I plug the capsule into the modem ethernet will that put extra load on the modem and risk overheating it? (or does it stress the router?) It's pretty hot here (36 degrees celcius) so I've had to drill some holes into the router to stop it overheating.

If I go with separate logins is there anything we can do to speed up switching users? A way to avoid passwords for example.

Loaded uBlock and Blur (similar to ghostery).



Btw, I see the forum has censored my language - kind of amusing as I only used a light word for female breasts, lol

Welcome to the forums.

1. You should have two users set up anyway. The first user will be an admin user and if you let your wife use that, you will be in trouble in no time. So, if you two want to share a standard user, than that's fine. I always have two users on my computers with passwords, just so if I want to let one of the kids use them.

2. You can re-download whichever OS X version is currently on your MBP and create a USB installer, which has a few Utility programs and is good to have for, "just in case".

3. I don't use any A/V software and haven't since I got went mac. I do have Ghostery and Adblock Plus on all browsers I use and I also recommend a utility program called ONYX, make sure you get the correct version for your OS.

4. Backup is backup, do what you need, and make sure it is always current, personally I prefer external disks to anything. I use Time Machine and I also use a clone of my OS drive, so I can pop it in and be back in business.

5. Can't help as I've never used Linux, good luck.

5. Somewhere I can read about stuff from a Linux switcher point of view? Command line, some OSS repository? Of course I can Google but you might know better

Click to expand...

The command line in OS X is very similar to the command line in Linux, you can get an idea of BASH commands from here: LINK

As far as an OSS repository goes... there really isn't one for OS X like there is for Linux. However, you have an icon in your Dock or from the Applications menu for the Mac App Store. That's the official repository (so to speak) for apps.

You'll also find some similarities in the folder structure of OS X with that of Linux.

Have fun.

OK. Finally ran into some problems.

First thing...
I typed my username and password in yesterday probably 50 times in setting things up and installing things. Is there an easier way? Even a Yubikey doesn't skip me needing to type my long email address.
In linux I do 'sudo bash' and then use that terminal for everything superuser to avoid keep typing the password. Perhaps this approach is possible?

Second,
can I set a shortcut to go up a folder? This would be quicker.

Third,
I used an old Mac today at work, not mine. I plugged in a 3D printer and it couldn't see a com port or the printer. What would be some good words to search for to diagnose? The printer has mac software so it seems supported.

edit, forth - where's the desktop directory in the file selector? sometimes all I have available is 'MAC HD' and removeable media

p.s. Garageband has come on quite a lot since I had a look 8 years ago!

The many passwords may be Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper is a function of OS X Security that forces the user to authenticate for any software installations that don't come from the Mac App Store. It is set in System Preferences/Security & Privacy on the General tab where it says "Allow apps downloaded from" and has three choices. The center one is the better choice, IMHO, because it covers most of the downloads you'll probably do. And even for the ones not from the MAS or identified developers, the install application will need to be authenticated only ONCE, then not again (the idea is that OS X wants you to be sure you want to run the app, but if you say you are, it won't ask again). So you may get a lot of authenticate prompts if you are adding a lot of stuff, but once they are installed and run once you won't see the again unless there is an update to them.

An alias to a folder is created by right clicking (Opt-click) and then click "Make Alias" and it will be created. Same icon, but with a little arrow. Put it where you want. IF you want a folder on the Dock, then drag the icon there.

Can't help with the old Mac unless you want to tell us what old mac and what version of OS X it has on it. However, for most of them System Preferences, Printers and in the list of printers at the bottom is a "+" button that will have OS X go look for any printers attached at the time, fetch drivers and install them.

Desktop is in /Users/<yourname> folder. That's where you should be putting all of your stuff. Don't put it in the root directory of Macintosh HD or you'll be bombarded with authentications because that directory is owned by the root user and your account isn't authorized automatically to write to that level. Your directory is easy to find in Finder, it's the one with the little house icon (Home, get it?).

As for sudo bash, I don't believe sudo persists in OS X. At least I've not seen it persist. I admit I don't do much command line work, but every time I use it sudo works for one command and then is gone. Don't know what sudo bash would do. Maybe a CLI guru will chime in. Bottom line is that in OS X I do a lot less CLI than I used to do in Linux. The GUI is pretty good and I find I don't need to add much to what's already in OS X.