tmutil:tldr:6e17b

The command sudo tmutil startbackup -b is used to initiate a Time Machine backup on macOS using the tmutil utility.

Here's a breakdown of the command:

• sudo: It is a command used in Unix-like operating systems to execute a command with administrative/root privileges. It allows the execution of commands that require elevated permissions.

• tmutil: It is a command-line utility in macOS that interacts with the Time Machine backup system. It provides various functionalities to manage and control backups.

• startbackup: This is a specific subcommand of tmutil used to start a Time Machine backup.

• -b: This is an optional argument that specifies the backup destination. By providing this argument, you can specify a specific backup destination or Time Machine disk. If this argument is not provided, the default backup disk will be used.

By running the command with sudo, you ensure that the Time Machine backup starts with administrative privileges, which may be necessary if you are backing up certain system files or directories that require elevated access.