[macOS] Automatically configure excludes for time machine backups

[0xdevalias]

• https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/mac-help/mh15622/mac
• https://www.defaults-write.com/cat/time-machine/
• https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/33494/where-does-time-machine-store-its-settings
  • tmutil addexclusion
• https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/25779/on-os-x-what-files-are-excluded-by-rule-from-a-time-machine-backup
  • tmutil -h
  • tmutil isexcluded ITEM
  • tmutil addexclusion ITEM (metadata attached to the file)
  • tmutil addexclusion -p ITEM (path)
  • etc
  • There are also default exclusions, commands to find all files excluded via metadata, etc
    • /System/Library/CoreServices/backupd.bundle/Contents/Resources/StdExclusions.plist
    • mdfind "com_apple_backup_excludeItem = 'com.apple.backupd'"
• https://superuser.com/questions/1161038/exclude-folders-by-regex-from-time-machine-backup
  • https://github.com/stevegrunwell/asimov

    • Automatically exclude development dependencies from Apple Time Machine backups

    • This actually sounds like a really good solution to this problem
    • Currently it isn't directly installable with brew, but there are a number of related issues about it, and it is a planned feature
      • Homebrew installation stevegrunwell/asimov#2
      • Added Homebrew support stevegrunwell/asimov#34
      • The Asimov Roadmap stevegrunwell/asimov#51
• Possible exclusions
  • ~/.ethash (ethereum related, ~2.29GB)
  • ~/Library/Ethereum/chaindata (ethereum related)
  • ~/Library/Caches/com.spotify.client (spotify cached music, ~8.35GB)
  • ~/Library/Caches/Yarn (yarn cached dependencies, ~2.36GB)
  • /Applications/XCode.app (~10.07GB)
  • Steam library folder?
  • These and others can be identified using a tool such as Disk Inventory X to visualize large files/folders that may not need to be backed up
  • https://www.howtogeek.com/294600/save-space-on-your-time-machine-drive-by-excluding-these-folders-from-backups/