/Library - This is the global library accessible to all users.To run macOS, you need this, and Apple protects its users from tampering with the /System.

Under modern macOS this resides on a separate partition that isn't manipulatable by the user. /System - This is where macOS itself resides.Hint: Tilde (~) indicates the home directory of the user, this is a *nix convention that macOS carried over. This is confusing as there are at least two Libraries on your computer and more if you have multiple users on a single computer. System Data is the tally of the contents of the following:Īll these can be managed by the user with /System being the outlier.

Why this difference is so large or why this difference even exists at all is not explained. One user might have 'System Data' that is is only 10 GB and another might have 250 GB. This isn't because these individuals are incapable, rather that Apple does not clearly communicate what is happening nor give you any meaningful course of action. editing cache data but thats not it this time and I can't figure it out)'. I see pretty frequently posts on Reddit posts like ' Can someone please explain how to get rid of the 'sYsTeM dAtA' this?' or hyper verbose ' Why do I have 130 gigs of system data 💀 (and how do I get rid of it cause a normal mac barely has like a 20 gigs or so of system memory) (I checked the usual culprit i.e.

How to free up gigabytes on mac