File copying, backup, etc.
Some not terrible but rather weak backup advice.
There is a version of rsync, called RsyncX, that copies HFS+ data, and has various GUIs.
Here is a backup solution in the form of a perl script that uses rsyncX.
RsyncX Webcast Archive: The MacOSXLabs.org group has produced this video that explains RsyncX and the new features in v. 2.0; there is a lot of detail and several Q&A sessions. All you need is Quicktime.
There is a version of psync with a GUI, called psyncX.
The author of psync explains.
Creating a Mac OS X Bootable CD
How to Create a Bootable Backup of Mac OS X (Cloning Mac OS X disks) -- Contains sections: Cloning a disk or backing up your drive with ditto -- Using hfspax to create a bootable backup.
Using CVS to keep your machines in sync.
I have recommended rsyncX as a utility for efficiently backing up your OS X files that preserves resource forks and Finder information. Apple claims that the rsync that comes with Tiger (OS X 10.4) handles all the HFS+ data, as do "Utilities such as cp, mv, tar," but there seem to be serious problems with the new rsync command, at least. There is a discussion at MacOSXHints; for now you can continue to use rsyncX, but it is unclear whether that will handle all of the new metadata.
More Problems with Tiger rsync: "rsync 'inplace' option separates resource forks"
Preserve resource forks during backups via tar and ftp: OS X 10.4 comes with a tar program that preserves resource forks.
Toast 7 Titanium Review : This version adds all sorts of new DVD and audio capabilities, according to a review in MacWorld.