The automatic updater triggers on the release ID, not the build number so I can't convince it that I am "out of date".
You're not out of date; I got (5891) directly from Mike, and although I don't think it will be an independent build release, its new functionality will be included in the next one.
On the other hand I am not inclined to have multiple clones on the same physical device.
I've always maintained a clone of my boot volume on my internal drive in order to have one handy when my external is in the drawer (as it usually is because of space limitations), not as a critical part of my backup scheme, but APFS and, irrelevantly, Full Clone have made it possible to run with a Full Clone clone in my boot container, and a Copy All Data clone in a separate container...sort of an "internal external."
(*)I did a Full Clone to a volume on a multivolume APFS drive and to my surprise the Recovery Drive, System Volume and Data Volume were added without changing the other volume on the drive, in spite of the warning the destination would be completely erased. I am try to envision how the various recovery, system and data volumes would be associated with one another.
The "destination" in this instance isn't the container, rather it's the particular volume to which you're cloning. Or at least that's what innumerable clones have taught me.
QUESTIONS: - Have you attempted creating multiple bootable clones in the same APFS Container?
- If so, did you use Full Clone (beta) or the Copy All Files option?
- How were the different Recovery Drives Handled?
I ran an extra clone in order to respond, and I"ve now got a Full Clone clone and a Copy All Files clone in the same container as my boot volume; I've booted into both without running into any issues, but to be honest, I didn't do much experimentation.
I'm not sure what your Recovery Drive question actually is; please clarify. (I'm sure you've seen
this.)
Is this responsive?
Last login: Sun Dec 29 04:54:17 on ttys000
artie@Artie's-MacBook-Pro-2 ~ % diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk1 450.1 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_APFS Container disk2 50.0 GB disk0s3
/dev/disk1 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +450.1 GB disk1
Physical Store disk0s2
1: APFS Volume Artie's MBP 417.8 KB disk1s1
2: APFS Volume HD - Data 17.0 GB disk1s2
3: APFS Volume HD2 236.7 GB disk1s3
4: APFS Volume HDw 442.4 KB disk1s4
5: APFS Volume HDx 442.4 KB disk1s5
6: APFS Volume HDz - Data 14.6 GB disk1s7
7: APFS Volume HD 10.5 GB disk1s8
8: APFS Volume Preboot 160.0 MB disk1s9
9: APFS Volume Recovery 1.1 GB disk1s10
10: APFS Volume VM 1.1 GB disk1s11
11: APFS Volume HDz 10.5 GB disk1s12
12: APFS Volume HDy 749.6 KB disk1s13
/dev/disk2 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +50.0 GB disk2
Physical Store disk0s3
1: APFS Volume CCC - Data 14.5 GB disk2s1
2: APFS Volume CCC 10.5 GB disk2s2
3: APFS Volume Preboot 80.0 MB disk2s3
4: APFS Volume Recovery 528.5 MB disk2s4
5: APFS Volume VM 1.1 GB disk2s5
/dev/disk3 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *480.1 GB disk3
1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk3s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk4 479.9 GB disk3s2
/dev/disk4 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +479.9 GB disk4
Physical Store disk3s2
1: APFS Volume OWC Elite Pro mini 659.5 KB disk4s1
2: APFS Volume HDa - Data 14.5 GB disk4s2
3: APFS Volume HDwa 17.1 GB disk4s4
4: APFS Volume HDxa 21.7 GB disk4s5
5: APFS Volume HDya 622.6 KB disk4s6
6: APFS Volume HD2a 236.0 GB disk4s7
7: APFS Volume Preboot 200.7 MB disk4s8
8: APFS Volume Recovery 2.1 GB disk4s9
9: APFS Volume VM 1.1 GB disk4s10
10: APFS Volume HDa 10.5 GB disk4s11
11: APFS Volume HDza 1.1 MB disk4s12
artie@Artie's-MacBook-Pro-2 ~ %
(*) I'm sure you've noticed how complicated writing about APFS is as respects disks, volumes, containers, and partitions. And trying to discuss pre and post APFS in the same sentence is a nightmare.