Can you slim macOS down?
3 months ago
- #macOS
- #Time Machine
- #Process Management
- Activity Monitor on a Mac shows hundreds of processes, even in minimal setups.
- Identifying unnecessary processes is challenging due to their complexity and constant changes.
- Time Machine backup processes (backupd, backupd-helper) run even when Time Machine is disabled.
- These processes consume minimal CPU and memory but add up over hundreds of processes.
- Processes are controlled by LaunchDaemons in the Signed System Volume (SSV), making them unmodifiable in modern macOS.
- Time Machine scheduling is managed by Duet Activity Scheduler (DAS) and Centralised Task Scheduling (CTS) via XPC.
- DAS-CTS schedules Time Machine processes hourly, regardless of user settings, with negligible resource use.
- Modern macOS offers limited user control over processes due to architectural constraints like SSV and DAS-CTS.
- Unlike classic Mac OS, modern macOS lacks modularity, with few optional installs beyond AI cryptexes and Rosetta 2.