I have a new and exciting Macbook Air M3 and I’m getting used to all the “improvements” (no more keyboard brightness buttons, @#$&).
But that was a piffle compared to the hook when I tried to do a backup. I do backups in two passes. One Time Machine, and then I change drives and do a simple Copy /Users.
The Copy failed.
Apparently, Sequoia 15.1 encountered the file milo.db-wal, got flustered, and killed the backup. It did it behind a black screen “to help me,” so I didn’t know it failed until much later.
I can’t get the system to show me where that file is.
But wait, there’s more. A search reveals many people on many different machines having similar, very serious system problems. My mouth keeps wanting to form the word “Bug.”
My head has no trouble at all forming the word CrApple.
You could try modifying your copy process to use rsync instead of a straight copy. This will allow you to exclude *.WAL files or indeed any other flies in the ointment that may surface later during use of your new and exciting thingie. If you can find a nice GUI for rsync in the Apple Store, so much the better. As they say, “Where there’s a WAL, there’s a way.”
My understanding is that the -wal file is a temporary file that only exists when an Audacity project is open. If such a file exists when there is no project open then it is one left behind after a crash. I have no idea why a simple copy operation would choke on it.
EDIT - see reply below. The milo.db-wal file is a macOS system file
Could you point to a few of the other users having very serious system problems related to Audacity? Do you suspect a bug in Audacity or a bug in macOS 15.1?
I used to use Carbon Copy Cloner for back-ups and it never choked on a -wal file to my knowledge.
Goodness knows. I have done no heavy Audacity editing since bringing the machine on-line. I am considering cranking up the command line and do searching that way.
I did not capture the failure screen. Big mistake.
I’m not blaming Audacity. But I think it’s good to know if a common operating system on a common computer type can create damage like this.
I seem to have made it through the Time Machine portion of the job. At least the machine didn’t complain about it or fail.
A search on DuckDuckGo resulted in this AI-generated summary.
Overview of milo.db-wal
The file milo.db-wal is associated with the milod process on macOS, which is likely related to Bluetooth and micro-location services. This file is part of the data management for applications that utilize these services.
Functionality
Purpose
milo.db-wal serves as a write-ahead log (WAL) for the database used by the milod process.
It helps in managing data integrity and performance for applications that require real-time location tracking and Bluetooth connectivity.
Related Services
The milod process is involved in managing connections with devices like HomePods and other Bluetooth accessories.
It operates in the background, especially when the computer is locked, which can lead to access issues for backup applications.
Common Issues
Backup Failures
Users have reported errors when backup applications, such as Time Machine and Arq, attempt to access the milo.db-wal file.
These errors often occur when the computer is locked, indicating that the milod process may be preventing access due to security settings.
System Integrity Protection (SIP)
SIP may restrict access to the milo.db-wal file, leading to backup failures. This is a security feature in macOS designed to protect system files.
Conclusion
The milo.db-wal file is crucial for the functioning of Bluetooth and micro-location services on macOS. Issues accessing this file can affect backup processes, particularly when the system is locked.
There’s another piece! The Time Machine backup completed while the machine was alive and the screen was illuminated. Not so the plain copy. That can take much longer and the machine had time to think I went to a movie or something and close the screen. I may be able to get around most of this by increasing the delay time during the copy. — Koz
