Using the Ditto command line tool

[reuab1]

Hello...!!!!
I'm trying to copy/move user data from an old server (10.3.9) to a new (10.4.3)server using the Ditto command. I can copy the data but, none of the permissions are kept. I have both read this fact on Apple's support web page and also called them on this and they told me the same thing. I'm running the command as "root" and still no luck. It's a ton of data, about 180GB worth. Both servers are on the same subnet on our network. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks..Bob

[MisterMe]

You read which fact?

[reuab1]

Hi,
Sorry about that, I should have stated that more clearly. I read that the Ditto command can copy the permissions if yo uuse the command logged in as "root". After the copy is complete the owner of the data is no longer who it use to be. The owner turns out to be either Admin or root, I can't remember which, but that's what's happening. I'm going to be upgrading our version of Retrospect. We only have Workgroup currently and we're going to upgrade to Server. I'm told by Retrospect that their software will transfer the permissions as well. Hopefully I'll be test that out the first week of May.
Thanks....!!!!

[sourcehound]

Originally Posted by reuab1

Hi,
Sorry about that, I should have stated that more clearly. I read that the Ditto command can copy the permissions if yo uuse the command logged in as "root". After the copy is complete the owner of the data is no longer who it use to be. The owner turns out to be either Admin or root, I can't remember which, but that's what's happening. I'm going to be upgrading our version of Retrospect. We only have Workgroup currently and we're going to upgrade to Server. I'm told by Retrospect that their software will transfer the permissions as well. Hopefully I'll be test that out the first week of May.
Thanks....!!!!

Ditto only preserves permissions when copying from local disk to local disk. This is where you're running into issues. Try hooking up the old server in target disk mode to the new server and then use ditto (don't forget the -rsrc flag). Also, you would want to use "sudo ditto -rsrc" as an admin user rather than log in as root.

[reuab1]

Thanks for the info...!!!! I have read about the target disk mode. If my restore using the Retrospect software (doing this today 5/2/06), meaning get the permissions back, I guess I'll have to try you're idea. I'm starting to run out of time, I need to have all this done by May 10th. So you could say I'm starting to sweat a little on this one. I never really even touched a Mac before April of this year.
Thanks again...!!