I recently ran into a problem where my computer can no longer wake properly from sleep, so I have to shut it down every night. It made me realize I should have system snapshots available in case an update or configuration change causes problems.
I had avoided Timeshift because I thought it backed up everything by default, including personal files. From what I've read, it normally backs up system files while excluding /home. Is that correct, or should I manually include everything under /root and exclude /root/home? If an update breaks something, can I restore a Timeshift snapshot while leaving my personal files untouched?
Also, what is the recovery process if the system becomes unbootable or I can't log in? I already copy my personal files to an external hard drive, but that drive is formatted for Windows and contains other data I don't want to erase. I'm mainly looking for a way to roll back system updates or configuration changes, whether through Timeshift or another tool that can work with my existing drive.
4 Answers
If your system uses Btrfs, Timeshift can create filesystem snapshots. They’re very fast and use little extra space at first, which makes them useful for undoing failed updates or configuration mistakes. If you’re using another filesystem, Timeshift can still make file-based snapshots, but they take longer and require more storage.
That’s essentially Timeshift’s normal behavior. It is intended to protect the operating system and configuration files, while excluding /home so your documents and other personal data aren’t rolled back. You generally shouldn’t need to create custom include and exclude rules unless you deliberately changed the defaults. Check the current snapshot settings before relying on them, since those options may have been modified during setup.
That clears up my confusion. I may have changed the defaults when I first configured it, so I’ll check the settings and make sure /home is excluded before creating new snapshots.
For a system that won’t boot, you normally restore from a live USB environment rather than from the installed desktop. Boot the live system, install or launch Timeshift, select the snapshot, and restore it to the correct system installation. It’s worth creating a recovery USB and verifying that your snapshots are visible before you actually need one. Keep in mind that a Timeshift snapshot is not a substitute for a full backup: disk failure or filesystem corruption can affect both the current files and their snapshots.
Your existing Windows-formatted drive may not be suitable as a Timeshift destination depending on its filesystem and the Timeshift method you choose. Don’t repartition or reformat it if it contains important data. You could use a separate partition or another drive for Timeshift, while continuing to use the current drive for file backups. System snapshots are for quickly undoing software changes; independent backups are what protect against drive failure and data corruption.
I was using “backup” and “snapshot” as if they meant the same thing. I already protect my personal files separately, so I’m mainly interested in snapshots or system backups for testing whether an update caused the problem.