Can I Do a Time Machine (TM) Restore Using AppleScript?

[JMichaelTX]

Can I Do a Time Machine ™ Restore Using AppleScript?
I’ve done numerous Google searches, and several forum searches, and have found nothing on this topic.

Is it possible, via AppleScript, to execute a Time Machine restore:
¢ Given a full path to the file/folder
¢ Given a “as of” date
¢ Given a restore to location

If so, please point me to documentation and/or sample code.

If it can’t be done via AppleScript, can it be done via any other language?

TIA for your help and ideas. I’m open to any solution to this problem.

[StefanK]

Hi,

You can do that with the command line interface tmutil

[JMichaelTX]

@StefanK

Hi,

You can do that with the command line interface tmutil

Thanks StefanK. tmutil would appear to provide what I need.
However, I can’t understand the syntax.

restore [-v] src … dst
Restore the item src, which is inside a snapshot, to the location dst. The dst argument mimics
the destination path semantics of the cp tool. You may provide multiple source paths to
restore. The last path argument must be a destination.

         When using the restore verb, tmutil behaves largely like Finder. Custom Time Machine metadata
         (extended security and other) will be removed from the restored data, and other metadata will
         be preserved.

snapshot
A directory inside a machine directory that represents a single initial or incremental backup
of one computer. The word “snapshot”, in most contexts, is a generic term and is not to be con-fused confused
fused with a “local Time Machine snapshot”, which is simply a snapshot stored locally on the
computer.

 snapshot volume
         A directory inside a snapshot that represents a single initial or incremental backup of one
         backup source. E.g.,

         /Volumes/Chronoton/Backups.backupdb/thermopylae/2011-07-03-123456/Mac HD

I don’t know, I’m just guessing, that the “src” parameter would look something like the “snapshot volume” path above.
So is my “as of” date simply embedded in the path?
Also, any idea what the “-v” switch does?

If anyone can provide some real examples of using the "restore’ command, I would greatly appreciate it.

TIA.

[StefanK]

-v is the verbose flag to get log messages in the console.

To use tmutil this might be starting point: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202406