Incremental Back-up Options in Linux (Mint)

[Brian Alex]

I really don't see much posted about this here which seems so strange. On Windows, my a$$ has been saved a few times using "Macrium Reflect" free edition. You just download the program, set it to make incrementals to a big USB drive, make a rescue c/d to boot from WHEN there is a major issue with Windows and you're done.
I see that Timeshift seems to be the equivalent of "System Restore" in windows and I successfully exported these back-ups to a usb but I don't think these will be the same as a full backup since it says in the documentation that it does not back-up user data.
Then there is clonezilla and recoverzilla (apparently a GUI for clonezilla) which require your to boot from a usb and make a one-time image (if I understand correctly).
Also there is the "dd" commands which also seem to make a one-time image.
Then there is the "Disks" option of "Make a Disk Image" but I can't get it to work because the drive cannot be "unmounted" or something (need to learn what that means). Anyway it is not incremental.

If only there was a simple program such as Macrium for dummies like me who don't want to lose their entire system and data. -BA

 

[Brickwizard]

We have several systems back up options, one of the popular ones is Timeshift, you will find it in your mint menu, oh and whilst there turn on your Linux firewall [also per-installed but not enabled by default]

 

[Condobloke]

Set Timeshift up (rsync) to save to an external drive. The external drive (or a partition on that drive) needs to be formatted to ext4.

In Timeshift settings, tick the boxes to include all files. This will use more space, but will save more as well

The schedule you use is up to you. Mine looks like the below, except I now only keep one weekly instead of two.

That schedule works for me.

That number of snapshots uses around 50GB of space (on a 2TB external)
The drive it is saving from is a 250GB and 12% of it is used.

I use Rescuezilla once a month. It takes an image which I also store on an ext4 partition of an external drive. The image backs up everything.
There are other image makers available. Choose one which suite you.

 

[MzQ1NjExN2]

To add to the last post. The file with the timeshift settings is:

sudo nano /etc/timeshift/timeshift.json

If you include all files from GUI menu as mentioned in the above post you will see the changes in the above file.

{
  "backup_device_uuid" : "57d84496-2fa6-4c4a-9a80-8a01dace878f",
  "parent_device_uuid" : "",
  "do_first_run" : "false",
  "btrfs_mode" : "false",
  "include_btrfs_home_for_backup" : "false",
  "include_btrfs_home_for_restore" : "false",
  "stop_cron_emails" : "true",
  "schedule_monthly" : "false",
  "schedule_weekly" : "false",
  "schedule_daily" : "true",
  "schedule_hourly" : "false",
  "schedule_boot" : "false",
  "count_monthly" : "2",
  "count_weekly" : "3",
  "count_daily" : "5",
  "count_hourly" : "6",
  "count_boot" : "5",
  "snapshot_size" : "8587341225",
  "snapshot_count" : "188765",
  "date_format" : "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S",
  "exclude" : [
    "/home/user/**",
    "/root/**"
  ],
  "exclude-apps" : []
}

The line where it says /home/user/ in the exclude part will change to + /home/user/ or something like that. So all you need to is add a + in there to each of the accounts you want to back up.

 

[deb_user]

My personal preference is to exclude /home from the timeshift backups. I do a separate backup of /home using just rsync in a cronjob. Timeshift will not back up to network drives, but rsync will. I back up home to two separate drives, belt and suspenders. But there are many ways to get backups done, and it's an individual decision.

 

[MzQ1NjExN2]

My personal preference is to exclude /home from the timeshift backups. I do a separate backup of /home using just rsync in a cronjob. Timeshift will not back up to network drives, but rsync will. I back up home to two separate drives, belt and suspenders. But there are many ways to get backups done, and it's an individual decision.

"Timeshift is designed to protect system files and settings. It is NOT a backup tool and is not meant to protect user data. Entire contents of users' home directories are excluded by default. This has two advantages:

• You don't need to worry about your documents getting overwritten when you restore a previous snapshot to recover the system.
• Your music and video collection in your home directory will not waste space on the backup device.

You can selectively include items for backup from the Settings window. Selecting the option "Include hidden items" from the Users tab will back up and restore the .hidden files and directories in your home folder. These folders contain user-specific config files and can be included in snapshots if required.

Note: It is not recommended to include user data in backups as it will be overwritten when you restore the snapshot."

From:

GitHub - linuxmint/timeshift: System restore tool for Linux. Creates filesystem snapshots using rsync+hardlinks, or BTRFS snapshots. Supports scheduled snapshots, multiple backup levels, and exclude filters. Snapshots can be restored while system is

System restore tool for Linux. Creates filesystem snapshots using rsync+hardlinks, or BTRFS snapshots. Supports scheduled snapshots, multiple backup levels, and exclude filters. Snapshots can be re...

github.com

 

[Trml]

I have used rsync historically, but in the last years slowly switched to a new backup programme, restic https://github.com/restic/restic

It is ultra-efficient at de-duplicating data blocks (most important for differential backups), has built-in easy to use encryption and interfaces to various cloud providers. If you (need to) store backups off-site, encryption is a must.
Also, it is very easy to setup for a regular user (e.g. managing home directory), as well as to run it for a system user. A restic backup repository can host different backups (system, users). I know there are different third-party GUI for it, but have not used any yet - so can't give an opinion there.

I still use rsync (e.g. to backup a phone to PC), but in my general experience usage can be tricky with permissions across different systems. rsync's error logs always scare me. It's less of a problem/easy, if you run rsync as root and schedule backups to run to a local network device.

 

[bob466]

If you want to create an image of your system that backs up everything use...Foxclone...https://foxclone.org and Rescuezilla...https://rescuezilla.com

Both are easy to use and work just like macrium...only much better.
I use both together because you never use only one backup tool. I used macrium free back in the windoze days. I used it when I moved to Linux because Linux had no tool that backed up everything on my Drive except that useless clonezilla.

Then Foxclone came along and the rest is history. I have both ISOs on my Ventoy Flash Drive...I plug in my external SSD...create a folder and name it...then boot to Ventoy...select either Foxclone or Rescuezilla and go from there.

Both compress the image and have a verify tool which is very important...both can be restored to the same internal Drive or another internal Drive should the Drive fail that the image came from.
Hope this Helps.

 

[Condobloke]

Just to make myself crystal clear.
I use both Timeshift and Rescuezilla

I like to experiment...a great deal.

Sometimes when I do that, I break things. Enter Timeshift. Go back to a daily snapshot taken on the same day.

problem ceases to exist.

If, however, I am REALLY experimenting, and I send the entire system south....in other words really screw it up to the extent that Timeshift doesn't want to know (yes, I have achieved that a few times).....I plug in the Rescuezilla usb stick, and tap Restore. Nominate the disc where the backup is stored, nominate the disc it is going to be restored to ....and away it goes.
I go and make a cuppa, by the time I get back, it is time to reboot and that is the end of that.

Once every blue moon I take a backup of the external where my music and other assorted important gear is stored.

 

[Brian Alex]

Thank you gentlemen. All i need is to purchase some more storage and I'll start trying these suggestions out. -BA

 

[Brian Alex]

One quick dumb question; I am sending Time Shift snapshots to a large usb drive daily, saving 2. An untested back-up does little to promote peace of mind. If there was a major failure with my Mint Installation and nothing seemed to save it, how would I use this USB TS back-up? I selected "root..." and "/Home...." and I'm not worried about overwriting anything since it mostly stays the same and it is daily anyway " I also put a current snapshot on the system it's self weekly.
Let's say suddenly the system dies and I have to start over with a fresh drive and a fresh install of Mint. Could I restore the saved snapshot from the USB drive on a fresh install ? That would be great. Thanks, -BA

 

[Condobloke]

The fresh drive and fresh install of Linux Mint you will already have in place. Access Timeshift on that fresh install and set it up, before proceeding.



Then, boot the Linux Mint 22.3 usb stick (which you have set aside for just such an occurrence ) .....and access Timeshift via the menu in the live version which appears on screen after booting.

Click on Settings, and then Location. put a mark in the box to select where the snapshots are stored.

The click on Restore. Select one of the snapshots, and away you go... Timeshift will pick up on the fresh drive, and the appropriate prompts will follow.

I am going to ask @wizardfromoz to check what I have typed above. ....just to be sure, to be sure.

 

[deb_user]

Install timeshift on the new system, open it, and select Restore. Select the backup you want to restore, and let it run. It will restore the new system to the state of the backup. I've had to do this before, more than once, and it works.

 

[wizardfromoz]

I am going to ask @wizardfromoz to check what I have typed above. ....just to be sure, to be sure.

Looks good.

 

[Brian Alex]

OK thanks guys. So, put in fresh SSD. Boot from bootable Mint USB. Click try or install and install new OS. Set up TS. Then shut down and boot from USB again into a live session. Open TS in this live session and go to settings/location. I assume at this point I plug in the USB that contains the back-up TS snapshots. Click Restore and the desired snapshot and it will automatically access the unmounted fresh install and update it . Correct? Thanks again. -BA

 

[wizardfromoz]

...and it will automatically access the unmounted fresh install and update it . Correct? Thanks again. -BA

Not quite. You will need to point Timeshift on the live USB to the target device, and, if you are using UEFI, to its ESP (EFI System Partition)..

So if the new SSD with the fresh install is /dev/sdb and the new install is on /dev/sdb1 and the ESP /boot/efi) is /dev/sdb2, you would point it to them.

If the SSD is NVMe type, then those might be eg /dev/nvme0n1p1 and /dev/nvme0n1p2.

Wiz

 

[Condobloke]

Give it a go. Everything to gain, nothing to lose

fwiw, My external drive also connects via usb. It is plugged in perennially. The only time it is off, is when the pc is shutdown.
This is a deliberate action....because Timeshift will pick its own time, when it wishes/needs to save a snapshot.

There is a time suggestion thing somewhere, but the real answer is to plug it in and leave it that way.

if the usb drive shows as mounted on your desktop, you can always right click it and unmount it. Timeshift will still find it.

When Timeshift is up and operating, go to menu, find timehsift there, right click on it and select add to panel. That places the Timeshift icon in the panel (task bar) you can do this with any app in the menu. Which is part of the reason I use two monitors..... I keep half the menu in the panel !

My external drive is formatted ext4.....so it holds Timeshift snapshots and Rescuezilla images (both rely on ext4) and it also holds an extensive number of tv shows, a few movies, a few .iso files, various notes I have made, backups for Zim Desktop Wiki (comes from software manager if you need somewhere to store info/how to do xxx etc) email address books, all sorts of knick knacks too numerous to mention.
Total size = 2TB...what I described above fits on half of that with 219 GB still free. The other 1TB is cut into 600GB which has 200GB used...a mind numbing assortment.....The remaining ~380GB holds Passowrd Manager backups, and a whole stack of Rescuezilla Images etc ... 250GB is free

The first half of that 2TB drive is formatted to ext3/ext4
The next 600GB is formatted to fuse (not a typo)
The remaining 380 GB is formatted as ext3/ext4

It takes some organising.... pencil and paper first.....then figure out how to partition it in such a way that makes sense for what you will/may need.....and be sure to leave some free space for stuff that may come along in the future.....a crystal ball may help. @wizardfromoz may loan you his.....

 

[wizardfromoz]

@wizardfromoz may loan you his.....

Not a prayer, last time I lent it out, to Merlin, it took 500 years to get it back from the bugger.

 

[Brian Alex]

OK thanks guys. I think I have it now. Anyway. I can always refer to this thread from a different machine if I have a major drive failure. Not likely that I will outlive this SSD but ya never know. -BA

 

[Condobloke]

major drive failures are fairly rare. I have never had one, and that includes using both hdd's and ssd's

But....just in case....... if you dont know how to approach such a happening, it is bound to happen!

Good luck, Live long.