Updating from 10.13 to 10.15, is APFS now mandatory? Keeping HFS+

[Funky frank]

Hi,

 

in the past I updated my macos systems using that "keep hfs+" switches with the system updater (forgot how to do exactly).

 

I really want to keep my HFS+ partition scheme, because AFPS would totally mess up my backup system, too! I absolutely do not need the system partition separation either.

 

I read that mojave still worked on a "regular" HFS+ partition. Is this true for 10.15 and 10.16, too? Does anybody have experience with this?

 

Thanks for infos!

[iCanaro]

or you don't change macOS or if you switch to catalina or big sur you will necessarily have to adopt APFS

[Funky frank]

Thanks for those detailed infos! Very helpful.

 

I am using a 1:1 copy of multiple drives to a backup drive with CarbonCopyCloner. It 1:1 copies the whole system drive, and then some specific user dirs from other drives. As a result, I have a bootable backup drive, which is super helpful, if the system drive does not work anymore. Then I can simply boot the backup and 1:1 copy all files back. I think I did not install freshly since 2010 or so Sometimes I clean the system though, but I know what to do here.

 

I wonder if this way of backupping still is possible with those separated APFS partitions? 

 

Also HFS+ is easily readable with "disk doctor" tools, once the drive has failed. I think this is not the case with APFS?  Maybe it is nowadays... I don't like how Apple locks the user from his/her own data in general.

 

And then APFS seems to run SLOWER on my Samsung SSD than HFS+. And it does not show the correct free space either. I don't like APFS, so if I can, I would like to avoid it. But since you wrote that Big Sur does not even boot from HFS+ anymore, I guess I have no choice.

 

@Hervé Are you sure that Big Sur even is not booting a GPT EFI HFS+ drive anymore?  I don't use MBR btw.