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I have read numerous positngs regarding how to delete the Time Machine sparsebundles. Nothing works, including SSH. I enabled SSH on the NAS, rebooted, then used Mac Apple Terminal to SSH in to the server to delete the sparsebundles. Nothing happens. The files are still there. No error messages. Nothing. How long should the SSH remove files command take to complete? The Time Machine fiiles/folders are huge, terabytes in size, but some are very small. Help.
The process that I used:
Terminal lobg into to the ReadyNAS successfully,
Change directory suddefssfully.
Give command to remove files, no error message, no feedback. Is there a way to list the files in this directory?
That truncate command is what you'd run if the sparsebundle is already very small. Check the PM I sent you. If the files are huge the whole point of the truncation method is to gradually reduce the file size.
If you want more space allocated for TM you'd simply go into the web admin interface of the NAS and increase the amount of space allocated to TM and apply your change.
If the files are large then deleting them can take quite a while.
You can do e.g.
# rm -rf *.sparsebundle &
Note:
the # at the start of the line comments it out (this is to try to prevent blind copy & paste, you should always think about every command you enter)
the & at the end means that it will create a sub shell and run it in the background. So you can run other commands in the foreground while you're waiting for the command in the background to complete.
The command ls (note that's a lower case L followed by a s) is used to list the files in directories
# ls
# ls -la
You can look up the man command for the command.
ls is one of a group of basic commands that everyone using SSH should know. If you're going to be using SSH a bit going forward you should look at free tutorials online to learn about basic commands such as ls, cp, mv, rm, grep, cat, kill etc.
As your files are huge, deleting the files by truncation may be more effective than deleting them using the rm command.
Yes, I knew the "ls" and "ls -l" commands but forgot how to refresh it. Too much of a hurry as you can see by the typos. I can enter the command again to refresh the volume file list. I did need reminder to comment out the command and appreciate the instructions on how to put these commands into the background.
I appreciate the information about the truncation method. I didn't know that. Is this the correct command?
My goal is to create a new Apple Mac Time Machine backup after deleting the existing sparsebundles that are too small. After the sparsebundles are deleted, do I then open FrontView to Backup, then open Time Machine, then increase the size of the existing TM setting or do I disable the TM and then renable it, thus creating a new partition?
That truncate command is what you'd run if the sparsebundle is already very small. Check the PM I sent you. If the files are huge the whole point of the truncation method is to gradually reduce the file size.
If you want more space allocated for TM you'd simply go into the web admin interface of the NAS and increase the amount of space allocated to TM and apply your change.
Mac users need to know that the following methods recommended by Netgear for removing sparsebundles does not work:
1. Removal via Time Machine AFP share (All firmwares) <does not work. files can be seen but cannot be deleted>
2. Removal via ReadyNAS OS integrated share browser (Firmware 6.0.0 and above): <does not work. logging in fails to display the Backup Share. This invisible share remains invisible to this browser login>
3. Removal via SSH console (All firmwares) <doesn't work unless you want to sit there for four days waiting for the files to delete>
Attached Image: It is impossiblre to actually log in to the NAS to display the Backup Share. This image, from Netgear Support, depicts an impossible action on my NAS.
Finder can access the full data volume of the NAS (including the hidden .timemachine folder) if you use the NAS admin credentials and the SMB protocol.
Thank you. I used the NAS admin credentials. I followed the instructions precisely as printed in the instructions. I was unable to access the Backup Share/timemachine. If you tell me what is wrong with the instructions I will give it a try. Thank you.
I can see the files sitting there in both AFP and SMB protocols. I see the files. I know they are still there. I cannot delete them. Error message. "File (0) deleting" and it hangs there forever. I do mean it hangs there for hours. Thank you. I can see the files.
I have used three or four means of accessing the NAS. I used Go-to-Server both AFP and SMB. and I used the direct Browser Access instructions as published in the Netgear support document. The later method does not allow me to see the hidden Backup share.
I also tried to access the NAS using Cyberduck, out of sheer desperation. Cyberduck will not log into the NAS. Whatever is the correct "log in URL or designation" is unknown to me.
The https link doesn't work for me - with 6.9.3 I can see the unhidden folders in the data volume, but the URL won't go into a hidden folder.
I'm not a mac guy, so I can't give you exact info for finder. But with Windows file explorer, using \\nas-ip-address/data/.timemachine with NAS admin credentials would certainly work.
I can see the files sitting there in both AFP and SMB protocols. I see the files. I know they are still there. I cannot delete them. Error message. "File (0) deleting" and it hangs there forever. I do mean it hangs there for hours. Thank you. I can see the files.
.
Ok. Unfortunately I'm not a mac user, so I don't have any time machine files on my system.
Using SFTP instead of SMB/AFP seems unlikely to help. Using ssh might work, but you'd need experience with the linux command line interface to use that.
How do I UNSOLVE this thread? I am begging someone from NETGEAR to provide a means to delete sparsebundles for Time Machine.
Thank you in advance. I have been struggling with this problem for five days. At this point I cannot recommend using any ReadyNAS for Mac Time Machine backups.
