idrive-backup

# iDrive Backup for macOS iDrive stores all configuration at `~/Library/Application Support/IDriveforMac/`. The username is the iDrive account email (e.g. `user@example.com`), detected from the top-level key in `appDefaultSettings.plist`. ## The Tool This skill bundles `scripts/idrive_tool.py` which handles all iDrive operations with correct matching semantics, symlink resolution, and safety backups. Run it with: ```bash python3 <skill-path>/scripts/idrive_tool.py <command> [args...] ``` ### Commands | Command | Description | | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `check-exclusion <path>` | Check if a path is excluded and by which rules. Reports backup scope too | | `check-scope <path>` | Check if a path falls under any backup reference path | | `list-exclusions [--category <name>]` | List exclusion entries. Categories: Default, Partial File, User Profile, User Specified, Propagated | | `add-exclusion <path>` | Add absolute path to User Specified exclusions (auto-backups config first) | | `remove-exclusion <path>` | Remove path from User Specified exclusions | | `show-settings` | Display all scalar settings with current values | | `set-setting <key> <value>` | Modify a setting (auto-detects type from existing value) | | `account-status` | Show quota, usage, encryption type, plan, app version | | `last-backup` | Parse recent LOGXML files and show backup status/results | | `find-redundant` | Find exclusion paths made redundant by a parent path in any map | | `clean-redundant` | Remove redundant entries from User Specified exclusions | | `list-backup-paths` | List all online backup reference paths | | `add-backup-path <path>` | Add a directory to backup reference | | `remove-backup-path <path>` | Remove a directory from backup reference | | `backup-config` | Create timestamped backup copies of config files | ## Safety Rules 1. **Back up before modifying.** The tool does this automatically. Manual changes must copy both `appDefaultSettings.plist` and `<username>/backupReferenceFile.plist` to `~/.idrive-backup/backups/` with timestamps first. 2. **Only modify User Specified exclusions.** The other four maps (Default, Partial File, User Profile, Propagated) are system-managed and will be overwritten by iDrive. 3. **Preserve plist key quirks exactly.** Two keys have trailing spaces: `ShowHiddenFilesKey ` and `PowerAfterScheduledJob `. One has a typo: `NotifyFaiulreValue`. The editable exclusion map key is `User specified Exclusion` (lowercase 's'). Getting any of these wrong creates orphaned keys. 4. **Never modify** `IDLoginDetails.plist`, `Sync.plist`, `LDB_NEW/*.ib` databases, or anything under `Operation/` (root-owned daemon files). 5. **Exclusion values are always int(1).** Presence in the map means excluded. Never write a 0 value; delete the key instead. 6. **All User Specified paths must be absolute.** No tildes, no trailing slashes, no relative paths. ## Five Exclusion Maps | Map | Plist Key | Count | Matching | Editable | | -------------- | -------------------------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | | Default | `Default Exclusion` | ~24 | Exact/parent path | No | | Partial File | `Partial File Exclusion` | ~41 | **Substring** of full path OR exact filename | No | | User Profile | `User Profile Default Exclusion` | ~7 | Exact/parent path | No | | User Specified | `User specified Exclusion` | 100-2000+ | Exact/parent path | **Yes** | | Propagated | `Propagated Files Exclusion` | Usually 0 | Exact/parent path | No (web console) | **Partial File Exclusion is substring-based.** This is the trickiest map. A pattern like `.cache` matches both `/Users/foo/.cache` and `/path/to/download_cache`. Patterns are relative names (never absolute paths), including dotfile dirs (`.git`, `.venv`), filename patterns (`fp16.bin`, `safetensors`), and one with a separator (`pkg/mod`). ## Key Gotchas 1. **Mixed boolean types.** Some settings use `<true/>`/`<false/>`, others use `<integer>0</integer>`/`<integer>1</integer>` for the same concept. The tool handles this; if modifying manually, match the existing type. 2. **Symlinks/firmlinks.** `~/Desktop` may resolve to `~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs/Desktop` when iCloud Desktop is enabled. Always resolve with `os.path.realpath()` before comparing paths. 3. **CDP log filenames have a leading space.** iDrive bug: Continuous Data Protection logs in `SessionLogsNew/Backup/` are named ` MM-DD-YYYY-00-00-00` (note leading space). Account for this when globbing or reading. 4. **Some files are root-owned.** `Operation/Backup/IBThrottle`, `LDB_NEW/*.ib`, and some plists are written by the iDrive daemon as root. Reading is fine; writing requires elevated privileges you shouldn't use. 5. **The appDefaultSettings.plist can be large.** User Specified Exclusion alone can have 1,800+ entries (mostly auto-populated `~/Library/Containers/com.apple.*` paths). The plist file can exceed 170 KB. ## Detailed Reference For detailed file format information, all 22+ scalar settings with types and descriptions, secondary file formats (logs, size files, sync config), or the complete directory layout, read `references/idrive-config.md`.