I have some typical photos, documents, etc. in various folders on my user profile on my Mac i.e. /Users/thisisme/. What is the easiest way to collect all of that data into one big zipped folder? I want to have a copy of all my folders / documents in that zip so I can save it to my Dropbox.
Asked
Active
Viewed 723 times
2
harada
- 123
-
You could use the tar utility: https://superuser.com/questions/46512/create-a-tar-file-for-compressing-files-and-directories-on-mac-os-x – JG7 Feb 20 '21 at 00:14
-
The other comment and answer posted so far (use tar or use zip) do answer your question. But, if you’re on a Mac, try some of Apple’s cloud tools, like iCloud and Cloud Photo Library. The former is best for backing up your files in real-time, no manual zipping required, and the latter specifically for your photos. You can also share some of your photo albums thru your Cloud Photo Library, if you or a friend/family want to access them from another Mac or a PC. – jimtut Feb 22 '21 at 01:47
-
@jimtut Thanks for the suggestion! I usually would do that, but I'll be moving from Mac to a desktop. An archive of my old stuff would be the easiest way for me. – harada Feb 22 '21 at 18:11
-
Understood. Zipping your home folder is not the best way to get all your photos though, if you’re using the Photos app. That app’s library has all your photos, and a LOT of other stuff, you don’t want a copy of its folder structure. Use the Photos app to do an Export (from the menu, or just drag photos out) and make a new folder with all your photos. – jimtut Feb 22 '21 at 18:39
1 Answers
2
What you called your "profile" is properly known as your "home directory".
You can make a .zip compressed archive of any folder, including your home directory, by selecting it in the Finder and then selecting File > Compress "foldername". ("foldername" will be replaced by the name of whatever folder is currently selected in the active Finder window.)
That command also appears in the contextual menu you get by right-clicking, two-finger-clicking, or control-clicking on a folder.
Spiff
- 104,423