Which of the cluster of hidden files and folders at the top level of an APFS volume should be preserved or copied to a copy of that volume?
.DS_Store
Many folders have them. They’re so invisible that you can’t even see them when you show hidden files. And the only way you know they’re there is when they cause problems.
Useful metadata shown in two places, and available as columns in List views. But some things don’t match up, and information changes in front of your eyes.
So convenient to use – edit them in the Comments: section of Finder’s Get Info dialog. But as reliable as loose scraps of paper, and as easily lost.
The Eclectic Light Company 