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Why Base Mac Mini users do all sorts of things to move their home folder to an external drive?
- Thread starter hajime
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I use my Internal for OS and Apps AND I use an pair of externals for file, photos, videos, etc
I do that so that I do less touches on the Internal and because it just makes sense to use a replaceable drive when editing and doing a lot of writes. I don't expect the internal to hit the normal life writes, but if it is still doing the same work in 5 to 10 years the internal SSD may actually hit the wall. lol
I use a TrueNAS to keep all the files that are not currently being worked on.
I do that so that I do less touches on the Internal and because it just makes sense to use a replaceable drive when editing and doing a lot of writes. I don't expect the internal to hit the normal life writes, but if it is still doing the same work in 5 to 10 years the internal SSD may actually hit the wall. lol
I use a TrueNAS to keep all the files that are not currently being worked on.
Which SSDs have failed? I have two Black SN850X and one Samsung 990 EVO Plus (all 2TB) running originally on my Win 11 box and now on my Mini M4 with zero issues.
Now if you were talking about dealing with Sandisk that is a different story. The are not nice at all LOL
Been considering this issue for some time. Planning for a purchase this year, I think I've decided to just get a Mac with internal 1TB storage, instead of using external devices for boot or home.
I've used external devices to boot for at least 15 years, first for an iMac whose internal HD failed, and even for the current (Intel) iMac because the internal SSD is too small. (Bought it used with the intent on booting from external SSD.)
But, going forward I've looked at the costs and I'd actually pay more for an external TB enclosure with fast 1TB stick, than simply paying Apple $200 (for the Mini with M4 Pro or possible future Studio.)
And given the Mac wants to use as much memory as possible and do swapping, a fast boot storage is a must, with plenty of extra gigabytes to spare.
I've used external devices to boot for at least 15 years, first for an iMac whose internal HD failed, and even for the current (Intel) iMac because the internal SSD is too small. (Bought it used with the intent on booting from external SSD.)
But, going forward I've looked at the costs and I'd actually pay more for an external TB enclosure with fast 1TB stick, than simply paying Apple $200 (for the Mini with M4 Pro or possible future Studio.)
And given the Mac wants to use as much memory as possible and do swapping, a fast boot storage is a must, with plenty of extra gigabytes to spare.
Today I attached my new Orico MiniDock w/ Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB SSD to my base M4 Mini.
Am I right that keeping the macOS and Apps running internally means keeping the Home folder where it is?
So now I just need to move the music, photos, videos, etc. folders to the external drive, and tell the supporting Apps the new external destination folders, right?
Could anyone direct me to a good tutorial for such an endeavor?
You are on the right track. In the App Store app go to preferences and under locations, choose the location of your external SSD. Same for apps like Logic, photos, and even for music if you keep a large downloaded library.
I recommend specifying the new location the App Store, then download an app you have installed before and redownload it. Or go to your applications folder and delete anything large and then go back to the App Store and download it again. The OS will then create a directory and set itself up for running apps from that location on your SSD. Once the voter is there, you can even go back to your applications folder and select several role applications to move into the new external location.
If after this you still have plenty of room generally on your internal, you can continue forward like this. If you need to clear internal space I’m going to recommend that if you want to start moving the contents of some folders in your home drive to the external.
Starting with your largest space consumers, like Documents, if you know how to *move* a whole folder you can move individual folders entirely out of your home directory and onto the SSD. Once the folder is moved you can right click to create a *symbolic link* and move that link back into your home directory. One of your largest ones is going to be your library folder but I really don’t suggest moving it unless necessary.
Currently Music is my biggest folder/library(?), but I'm expecting Photos and Videos to possibly challenge Music in size. It seems to me that those three need to be moved to one partition on the external, and then have Time Machine backups in the other partition(s). I am also going to get a refurbished base M4 Pro MacBook Pro.
How to Create and Use Symbolic Links (Symlinks) on a Mac
Use symbolic links to store application files elsewhere without breaking the app that depends on them.
www.howtogeek.com
Download and install large apps to a separate disk
In the App Store, you can choose to download apps larger than 1 GB to an external disk.
support.apple.com
Change where your music files are stored on Mac
On your Mac, change where your Music files are stored on your computer. You can also manage your files and create folders for better organization.
support.apple.com
Move your Photos library to save space on your Mac - Apple Support
To save storage space on your Mac, you can move your Photos library to a different storage device.
Change Files settings in the Apple TV app on Mac
In the Apple TV app on Mac, set options for folder locations, automatic delete options, and more.
support.apple.com