Linux Snapshots Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to system snapshots on Linux, covering Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions including Btrfs snapshots, Timeshift, and snapshot management.

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Table of Contents

1. Btrfs Snapshots
2. Timeshift
3. Snapshot Management
4. Restore from Snapshot
5. Troubleshooting

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Btrfs Snapshots

Create Snapshot

Manual snapshot:

# Create snapshot
sudo btrfs subvolume snapshot / /mnt/snapshots/snapshot-$(date +%Y%m%d)

# List snapshots
sudo btrfs subvolume list /

Automatic Snapshots

Setup automation:

# Create script
sudo vim /usr/local/bin/btrfs-snapshot.sh

Script:

#!/bin/bash
SNAPSHOT_DIR="/mnt/snapshots"
sudo btrfs subvolume snapshot / "$SNAPSHOT_DIR/$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"

Make executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/btrfs-snapshot.sh

Add to cron:

# Edit crontab
sudo crontab -e

# Daily snapshot
0 2 * * * /usr/local/bin/btrfs-snapshot.sh

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Timeshift

Install Timeshift

Install Timeshift:

# Arch/CachyOS
yay -S timeshift

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install timeshift

# Fedora
sudo dnf install timeshift

Create Snapshot

Create snapshot:

# Create snapshot
sudo timeshift --create

# List snapshots
sudo timeshift --list

GUI

Launch GUI:

# Launch GUI
sudo timeshift-gtk

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Snapshot Management

List Snapshots

List all snapshots:

# Btrfs
sudo btrfs subvolume list /

# Timeshift
sudo timeshift --list

Delete Snapshot

Remove snapshot:

# Btrfs
sudo btrfs subvolume delete /mnt/snapshots/snapshot-name

# Timeshift
sudo timeshift --delete --snapshot snapshot-name

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Restore from Snapshot

Restore Btrfs Snapshot

Restore:

# Boot from live USB
# Mount root
# Restore snapshot
sudo btrfs subvolume snapshot /mnt/snapshots/snapshot-name /mnt/restored

Restore Timeshift Snapshot

Restore:

# Boot from live USB
# Launch Timeshift
# Select snapshot
# Restore

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Troubleshooting

Snapshot Issues

Check snapshots:

# List snapshots
sudo btrfs subvolume list /

# Check space
sudo btrfs filesystem df /mnt/snapshots

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Summary

This guide covered snapshots for Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other distributions, including Btrfs snapshots, Timeshift, and restoration.

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Next Steps

• Btrfs Guide - Btrfs setup
• Backup and Restore - Backups
• System Recovery - System recovery
• ArchWiki Snapshots: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Btrfs#Snapshots

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This guide covers Arch Linux, CachyOS, and other Linux distributions. For distribution-specific details, refer to your distribution's documentation.