How do I duplicate a TM backup drive?

[hal]

btfc wrote:
https://www.macworld.com/article/609296/...ckups.html

https://apple.stackexchange.com/question...-a-new-one

https://dancarrphotography.com/blog/2020...e-backups/

from that second link: "If you connect a larger disk and wish to preserve your existing backup history, you can copy the Backups.backupdb folder from the old disk to the new one. Use Finder, and not Terminal or any other app, to copy the Backups.backupdb folder. (The folder is large, and it may take a long time to copy.)"

I never would have guessed that the easiest way is also the proper way, but all those little files will take forever!