I recently switched from Linux Mint to Fedora KDE. Mint included Timeshift, which seemed useful for creating weekly and on-demand restore points in case system tinkering caused problems. I haven't found Timeshift in KDE's software center on Fedora, although there are several other backup tools available. I'm mainly looking for a reliable setup that can back up the operating system, preserve my personal files, and let me restore the machine after something goes wrong. What tools or workflow would you recommend?
5 Answers
A practical setup would be Snapper or another Fedora-compatible snapshot tool for quick system rollbacks, plus Borg/Pika Backup or KBackup for your home directory and other irreplaceable files. Schedule the file backups and keep at least one copy on a separate storage device. That way a failed update and a dead drive are both covered.
Timeshift can be installed on Fedora, but it isn’t an ideal fit because Fedora’s Btrfs subvolume layout differs from what Timeshift expects. It may need a less efficient mode and still won’t replace a proper backup. Also, if snapshots are stored on the same drive as the system, a drive failure can destroy both the system and the snapshots, so important data should be copied elsewhere.
Borg is a strong choice for actual backups. It supports deduplication and incremental backups, so weekly and on-demand backups can be stored efficiently on an external drive or network share. If the command line feels intimidating, Pika Backup provides a much simpler graphical interface while using Borg underneath.
KDE’s KBackup is another option for saving files from your home directory and other selected locations. Just keep in mind that it is a file-backup utility, not a system snapshot tool. It can help recover deleted or corrupted files, but it won’t provide the same kind of one-step rollback as a snapshot.
It helps to separate this into two jobs: system snapshots for quickly undoing a broken update or configuration change, and regular backups of your home directory and other important files. On Fedora, Snapper together with Btrfs Assistant is worth investigating for snapshots, although it won’t behave exactly like Timeshift on Mint. For personal files, use a real backup tool and save the copies to another disk or network location.
Pika Backup is probably the easiest starting point here. It keeps the Borg benefits without requiring you to learn all the command-line options first.