Migration Assistant – Which files are migrated ?

[the-dreamer]

I found a lot of informations about this on multiple websites with different answers and sometimes outdated…

So I wanted to clearly know exactly what files are migrated with Migration Assistant if every option is checked.

My exact use case :
I use HomeBrew for a lot of command line tools and other things. For example I have multiple MariaDB databases.
I also use 1Password locally (with only WLAN syncing) and I read that sometimes it gets messed up by using Migration Assistant...

So the final question is : with all these tools I use, will Migration Assistant take everything (including preferences and Home-brew installations) and I’m good to go without thinking about it ?
Or would it be better to use something like Brewfile to reinstall everything "manually" and only use Migration Assistant for my user files (Documents, etc.) ? And use a tool like Mackup to get my preferences right without having to do it manually ?

 

[Brian33]

I also wondered about which files exactly were migrated. Especially in that category of "Other files and folders." I can't answer that fully, but I recently used Migration Assistant to migrate a system from High Sierra to Mojave. I ran it with all boxes checked except my Users (then later ran it for the User data).

My HomeBrew setup was migrated and I haven't had any problems with it. Yay! I've only got 7 or so leaves, but at least that's one data point. Basic brew commands work; I did a bunch of updating/upgrading but unfortunately I can't remember if I did that before or after migration, sorry.

I also use 1Password 6 a lot (not the subscription servcice), and it appears to have been migrated without problem. I don't use WLAN syncing (I'm syncing with Dropbox). I did run into a snag regarding Dropbox -- on the new setup I could not log into Dropbox because apparently there's been a change limiting the free accounts to three devices and I've exceeded that limit. Anyway, 1Password has been working fine with the local (now non-synced) agile keychain.

Also, files in /Users/Shared were migrated, I assume as part of "Other files and folders."

Overall I'm happy with Migration Assistant -- using it saved me a ton of time. Hope that helps some.

 

[rjtiedeman]

I migrated from a 2010 tower Mac Pro to an iMac Pro with Mojave preinstalled and a lot of drivers and junk came over that I don't need or want. I would hope that a 10.15 install could clean this stuff up since I have no way of finding it myself and removing it. It apparently gets isolated and will not run and we are supposed to just let it be.

 

[the-dreamer]

Just to keep a track of my initial question : I finally did a Migration Assistant transfer from a MacBook Pro 2016 to a 2019 one using a Carbon Copy Cloner clone.
Both Macs were running macOS 10.14.6 so no issue about switching version.

Result : all was transferred quickly without any problem. Including 1Password, Homebrew tools and MariaDB databases.

So my final advice : unless you have bugs in your macOS installation (like strange behaviours or the system eating a lot of RAM without any app opened) I don't think it's useful to do a very time consuming clean install.

 

[honestone33]

I don't use Homebrew, and have no MariaDB databases, but I do use 1Password (non-subscription), plus other third party software. Whenever I have done a clean installation of a new Mac OS (or a new version within that same Mac OS), I first use Onyx and TechTool Pro for one final maintenance/cleanup of the "base" system, then make a SuperDuper! backup to an external SSD. I boot the respective machine from its backup, use Disk Utility there to Erase and Format the internal SSD, do a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of the new Mac OS (or newer version), and then when prompted, do a "transfer" (ie, migration) of all my "applicable stuff" from that just completed SuperDuper! backup. That has always worked for me, with all my apps, settings, data, etc. transferring without any issues.

Of course it goes without saying that one needs to insure that all the third party software one uses is compatible with the new OS. I am not there yet.

 

[honestone33]

So my final advice : unless you have bugs in your macOS installation (like strange behaviours or the system eating a lot of RAM without any app opened) I don't think it's useful to do a very time consuming clean install.

This "debate" of whether to do a clean, fresh installation of a new version of the Mac OS, or just an upgrade, has been discussed numerous times. From my perspective, it depends upon how "clean" one keeps their Mac. Myself (and folks might criticize me for this being overkill), I am constantly cleaning off unnecessary "stuff", especially with my EMail program Thunderbird. And when I say cleaning off, I mean permanently remove. Also, once a week (typically every Saturday), I run Onyx and about 9 of the tasks in TechTool Pro to perform additional maintenance/cleanup. And then of course I make a SuperDuper! backup of my just cleaned system. I do this for both of my Macs to two separate external SSDs.

When I download the full installation file for the Mac OS, I stop the actual installation. I then make a copy of the installer file to another location on my Mac, and then remove the cone inside the Applications folder (no need to take up space). And of course by tis point, I have made sure that all my third party software is compatible with the new OS. When I am ready to move to the new OS, I do my weekly tasks I mentioned above, boot from that most recent SuperDuper! backup, and first use Disk Utility there to Erase and Format the internal SSD on the respective Mac (I have 2 machines: a late 2012 Mac Mini, and a mid 2017 Mac Book Air, both running OS 10.14.6). Next, I navigate to that copied Mac OS installation file, launch it, and then do a clean, fresh installation onto that internal SSD. Finally, when I am prompted, I transfer (ie, migrate) all the needed "stuff" from that just completed SuperDuper! backup. I then restart my Mac from its internal SSD, and away I go!

That has always worked for me, with no issues. Yes, it is somewhat time consuming, but it is better for me to have a trouble free system after "moving" to the new OS. I have recently done 2 such installations of Catalina onto an external SSD, and the entire process took about an hour. But since not all my third party apps are compatible with Catalina, I only did some limited testing, and have subsequently Erased and re-formatted that external SSD (I still have the Catalina installation file on my Mac Mini).

Please do not misinterpret this post. I understand why some folks just prefer to do an upgrade from one Mac OS to another. And kudos to folks who do that. I myself just prefer to have more control over the process. (For "within the same Mac OS" releases (ie, in upgrading from OS 10.14.2 to OS 10.14.3, for example), I download and run the applicable Combo Updater).