Library Question for Back up Plan

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Gigamux

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While I was setting up to start doing a daily back up routine, I noticed that I have several Library files or folders.

One of course in is my User folder, so that is understandable.

Then there is one with all the first level directory folders like, Applications, System, etc (see attached Picture 2).

Then there is also one inside the Folder called "System" (see attached Picture 1).

Could someone give a quick tutorial on why OS X uses these last two Library containers in stead of just one? I did a quick look through and it seems like they are overlaps, but yet when you look at the individual filies there is hardly ever an overlap. There is always some difference. So maybe I just answered my own quesion; but still why not just one Folder instead of two?

The reason I am trying to sort this out is for a Back UP Plan. I was going to just back up my "user" folder, and my " System Library" folder, but do I need to back up the "Library" folder as shown in Picturer 1? I figured that if I ever had a HD crash or needed to restore my system, I would have all my data files from my User folder and my settings from the Library-System folders.

Also does anyone have any feedback about using a little utilty called PsyncX. It seems like a very simple backup program that just creates Perl and Unix commands to keep files backed up on an external drive. Once it has done the first back up, it will just do the incremental changes thereafter.

Thanking all in advance, I am Gigamux.
 

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Library folders contain information used by the Mac OS and applications. There are several Library folders on your computer.

The Library folder at the top level of your hard disk contains files that are important for the Mac OS and that apply to all users of the computer. For example, the Fonts folder contains fonts available to all users.

Each user account also has its own Library folder, which contains files used just by that account by the Mac OS and applications. Fonts in a user's Library folder, for example, are available only to that user.
 
The Library folder is not the only folder that is duplicated in OS X. The Applications and Documents folders are also duplicated. There are at least three Library folders ~/Library (where ~/ is Unix shorthand for your home folder), /Library, and /System/Library. If you were logged onto an OS X serve there would be another ../Library folder as well. Each of these Library folders has its own scope of reference.
  1. ~/Library contains information that is unique to that one user such as that user's preferences, email, browser bookmarks, keychain files, fonts, etc. Nothing in this folder can be accessed by any other user on the system.
  2. /Library contains items that are global to all users on that computer which may be certain application support files, browser plug-ins, fonts, and so forth.
  3. /System/Library contains items that are specific for OS X such as the required system fonts and are indirectly available to all users on the system.
  4. ../Library has information that is global to every user logged onto that server.
There is also a defined search order. For example, if a user selects a font for use in a document the system will look first in that users ~/Library/Fonts folder and if the font is not there it will then look in /Library/Fonts then /System/Library/Fonts and finally in the /Library/Fonts folder on the OS X server if the user is logged onto one.

Remember that even though you think of yourself as the only user on your machine, OS X is still a multi-user operating system and is designed to provide each user with their own unique environment as well as providing each of them access to common functions. And there are always other users such as System. The hierarchical Library structure is just one of the techniques use to accomplish this.
 
/Library
/System/Library
/Users/USERNAME/Library

You'll want to backup all of those. Basically, you'll backup your user's home folder plus the other two Library folders plus all Application Support folders in order to have a 'complete' backup. If your computer is only used by yourself, you might also want to just backup everything...
 
Thanks to all for the explanations. Not to be a pain, but no one commented on the Back up program PsyncX. So maybe it is little known - used. So let me know if I need to ask it under a new thread. It might me a good time to do a little reader poll on which back up or Sync program people like the best; but of course that is trully a new thread. Unless I missed in my searching for past threads on what people like to use. Thanks in advance for any inputs...
 
Backup is good (and you can use it with more than .Mac, if you have it). On my external, I use Carbon Copy Cloner and make it bootable. I also use CCC to back up files onto my iPod.
 
I'm currently using Retrospect Express, as that came with my Maxtor drive (see sig.). Previously I used SilverKeeper, as that's a really good (and free!) option. I also used 'ditto' (command line tool) before that.
 
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