Script to only back up operating system files

[wiselou]

Hello,
I'm looking for a simple script to copy all of the needed operating system files to the backup drive and no user files. I will use other backup programs to update the user data, but would like to update the OS copy as I update the OS on the master drive. I guess I want the inverse of the copy only user files script so I can run the script and update the OS and leave the user files intact. Thanks for any help you can give.
Louis Wise

[dnanian]

You're basically looking for the Safety Clone, Louis.

[wiselou]

Dave,
Thanks for the quick reply! Can I use the Saftey Clone and still run from the Master computer's operating system. I want the target disk drive as a back up only, and want to boot from it only if the master disk fails. Thanks, Louis

[dnanian]

It's important to remember that the Safety Clone is not a backup. It's a checkpoint of the OS files. If your main drive fails, you won't be able to back up from the Safety Clone, because it doesn't have your files on it!

If you want a backup, don't do the Safety Clone. Use "Backup - all files".

[wiselou]

Dave,
Let's say that I have already backed up the whole master disk with a "Backup all files" command. Now I have a dup of my master disk on my Firewire drive, the target disk. Several weeks later I upgrade the OS from Apple with a security update. I want to only copy the OS changes to the target Firewire drive and nothing else. I have a registered version of the software so I can use any script I can create. What command in the script would I use to only copy the OS files and not the user files from the master to the target firewire drive? I hope this is understandable, I'm not a computer person. Many thanks, Louis

[dnanian]

You can't really do that, Lou. I mean, I could write something that would sort of do it, but I don't think it'd be what you want.

Why would you want to do it? I'm at a loss to understand.