tmutil:tldr:c5683

The command sudo tmutil startbackup is used in macOS (Mac operating system) to manually initiate a Time Machine backup.

Here's an explanation of the different components of the command:

• sudo: "sudo" stands for "Super User Do" and is used to execute commands with administrative privileges. It prompts the user for their password and allows them to perform actions that regular users might not have permission to do on their own.

• tmutil: "tmutil" is a command-line utility in macOS used for interacting with Time Machine, the built-in backup software. It provides a range of actions and options to manage and control Time Machine backups.

• startbackup: "startbackup" is a subcommand of "tmutil" which instructs Time Machine to begin a backup process. When you run sudo tmutil startbackup, it prompts Time Machine to start backing up your files immediately.

Using this command manually might be necessary in situations where Time Machine backups are not happening automatically, or if you want to explicitly initiate a backup at a particular time.