Timeshift in LM22 seems to work but will not Restore

Gainer

Active Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2024
Messages
133
Reaction score
127
Credits
1,865
New to Linux, I used LM22 on a Bootable USB for 10 weeks, so it was time to install on my Mini PC

Installed LM 22 using #2 Wipe drive – Default Install
Installed all offered Updates
Turned the Firewall ON
Turned OFF mintwelcome
Set Preferences that I wanted based on my past 10 weeks using a Bootable/Persistent USB Stick
Firefox Stand alone, no added extentions​
Most Preferences were Appearance​

Next, created Timeshift Snapshot - no errors, stored on an external drive

New LM 22 install in use for the next eight days, No Errors during that time

Installed Bottles using Software Manager
No Errors​

Made some errors installing a Windows program. Cleanup by using the Timeshift Snapshot was chosen as the cleanest method of recovery.

Restore process was executed with no errors, and the expected Reboot.

But no change back to the Snapshot version.

What am I missing or not doing?
 
Last edited:


I'm confused. Are you trying to restore a snapshot?
 
When restoring a Timeshift Snapshot from an External HDD or SSD...you must Boot to the Live Session and do it from there...otherwise it will not work.

Boot to the Live Session and type in search box timeshift...when Timeshift comes up you'll see this...
1734904805146.png

This is my 2TB External HDD...select the Snapshot you want to restore and click...Restore.
1734905000940.gif


The above works on the same Drive...I have not tried this on a different Drive. On a new Drive you'd have to install Mint first then do the above.
If I was going to put the Image of my Drive on another Drive I'd use Foxclone but that's another story.
1734905471401.gif
 
.you must Boot to the Live Session and do it from there...otherwise it will not work.
Can you elaborate on this? You talking about booting from the external HDD and then restoring from time shift?
 
When restoring a Timeshift Snapshot from an External HDD or SSD...you must Boot to the Live Session and do it from there...otherwise it will not work.
Hey @bob466 - Thank you for responding. I'm a bit too new at this so I'm not sure what the phrase "...Boot to a live session" means.

There is only LM22 on this machine (no dual boot, not from a USB stick, etc)

I'm logged into my account which is the only account on this machine.

I launched Timeshift from the search box, enter my password, and see what you show in your example.

Am I not in the correct place?
 
Last edited:
Can I ask you something? Has your device failed or crashed and you are trying to restore from time shift on an external hard drive?
 
Hey @bob466 - Thank you for responding. I'm a bit too new at this so I'm not sure what the phrase "...Boot to a live session" means.

There is only LM22 on this machine (no dual boot, not from a USB stick, etc)

I'm logged into my account which is the only account on this machine.

I launched Timeshift from the search box, enter my password, and see what you show in your example.

Am I not in the correct place?

When you download the Mint ISO...burn it to a Flash drive or drag it in to Ventoy and Boot to it...this is called the Live Session.
1734917874636.png


You can do many things in the Live Session...
https://www.linux.org/threads/the-mint-cinnamon-live-session.49417/

Just remember if you're using Mint Cinnamon 22...you must use the Mint Cinnamon 22 ISO.
Here's mine in Ventoy...
1734918363721.png


I think you're trying to run Timeshift from your Desktop because you don't need a password to run Timeshift from the Live Session. I don't have any pics on restoring Timeshift from the Live Session to show you but I'll do some.
1734918955999.gif


 
Timeshift was designed to take a snapshot of System Files...not personal files but you can set it up to take a snapshot of everything on the Drive.

The only problem with that is will create a large file which that takes up space...the other problem is...if the Drive fails...everything is lost but if you setup Timeshift on an External HDD or SSD...problem solved and this is what I've done.
1734922902508.gif
 
Can I ask you something? Has your device failed or crashed and you are trying to restore from time shift on an external hard drive?
Thank you for your interest. Just learning and I can misunderstand Terminology. Unix, then supporting Microsoft from DOS 1.0 to Win11.

All new equipment. No failures - Hardware or Software. Mini PC's were purchased with Ubuntu 22 installed. I only purchase computers with OS installed. Only OS and installed apps on drive. LM22 installed (notations above).

Data is always kept on a seperate drive. Three levels of data backup. #3 - external drive, #2 - NAS, #1 - cloud outside of "disaster-area". Timeshift Snapshots are stored seperately - 64GB thumbdrives locally for rapid recovery and then 3/2/1 backup.

Sequence and cause to the choice to Timeshift Restore is in original thread (above). The Timeshift app is on the OS drive and installed in LM22. The Snapshots are on the original thumbdrive.

So to your question "....are trying to restore from time shift on an external hard drive?" Terminology is nt completly clear to me. Timeshift app is on the OS. Snapshots on a mounted thumbdrive. I am not running Timeshift from an external drive.

No hardware, system crash, app errors. I simply was installing Bottles and a Windows App (no errors). First time using Bottles and after a successful install of Bottles and an App I wanted to install them a bit different and used this as a reason to use Timeshift to Restore back to a clean point and learn the Restore process before I really needed it. It was suppose to be a practice run but now has turned into....?

Terminology again... sorry if I still was not clear. Please ask again
 
When you download the Mint ISO...burn it to a Flash drive or drag it in to Ventoy and Boot to it...this is called the Live Session
OMG, never would have come up with that explaination. HA! Thank you for your patience. Newbies. Five decades of Microsoft IT speak.

After about 9 weeks I'm I've been off my Live Session. Mine was a Bootable/Persistent 64GB USB so I could follow my progress and not go "back-to-start" every time I rebooted. Also had a couple of non-persistent to experemint with.

About a week ago I felt I wanted to install and move forward. I had purchased Mini PC's with Ubuntu 22 installed. I did not want to spend my introduction time to Linux on old equipment sorting out drivers and such.

So for the past week the new LM22 install was going very well. (details in original thread above)

No hardware, system crash, app errors. I simply was installing Bottles and a Windows App (no errors). First time using Bottles and after a successful install of Bottles and an App I wanted to install them a bit different and used this as a reason to use Timeshift to Restore back to a clean point and learn the Restore process before I really needed it. It was suppose to be a practice run but now has turned into....?

I just took the last 30 minutes and REREAD this whole thread from the top - a couple of times.

OMG... am I suppose to boot my (troubled) machine using my Bootable LM22 USB stick and launch Timeshift from there (ie the "Live Session")?
 
G'day @Gainer ... question for you when you get the time, don't interrupt any festive activities, I am in no hurry.

Q. When you clicked the last button to Restore from Timeshift, that was from within a (still) working session of your Linux Mint, is that so?

If that is so,

Timeshift will launch a full-screen terminal window and start restoring files. Do not interrupt the restore process while it is running. Doing so can leave your system in an inconsistent state. System will reboot after restore is complete.

Was that the case, and did the system reboot?

Cheers

Wizard
 
I'm not sure what I saw but it seems some enteries are missing. It looked like a "discussion" as to the correct method to the Restore process in Timeshift.

I mention this, not because of the content of the posts but that it was hopefully moderators doing what they do well and not spammers/hackers or site challenges.

Onward...
Q. When you clicked the last button to Restore from Timeshift, that was from within a (still) working session of your Linux Mint, is that so?

If that is so,
Yes. And I received this message

Screenshot from 2024-12-23 02-38-17.png

When I clicked on "Next" I do receive the full screen Terminal... streaming by very fast. It pauses in a few places. I have done this a number of times - I think I have seen where all/most of the error messages would/could be and all I have seen is "No Error"

"...and did the system reboot?" Yes. With no Error messages, but nothing changed. As a test/check point, I made a few minor changes, mostly in Visual Preferences to see easily if things Restore back to my "last-known-good".

One of the fast evaluation points I made was to change the Terminal screen from (default) black to bright red (and NOT make a new Snapshot). My expectation would be that IF Restored, the Terminal screen would be (default) black, but after a (no error) Restore, and reboot, the Terminal did not return to (default) black but remained the bright red.

Thank you for your time and patience. Much appreciated!

Very best of the Holidays to you and yours!

And a very Merry Christmas
 
Thanks for your response. I will leave mine until your 27th, in the spirit of the festival.

Very best of the Holidays to you and yours!

And a very Merry Christmas

and the same to you and yours.

Wizard
 
Can you elaborate on this? You talking about booting from the external HDD and then restoring from time shift?
Take your USB that has Linux mint on it (the one you used for 10 weeks before installing it), boot your computer from it. When you get to the desktop, launch Timeshift, direct it to your external drive where your Timeshift images are saved, pick one and click restore. Works every time for me
 
Take your USB that has Linux mint on it (the one you used for 10 weeks before installing it), boot your computer from it. When you get to the desktop, launch Timeshift, direct it to your external drive where your Timeshift images are saved, pick one and click restore. Works every time for me
No need to intrupt your holidays. Thank you for your response but this can wait - be with family and friends through the season.

Hey IronWolfusa - Merry Christmas

At first, when I was on the USB only "playing" with LM22 I was reminded that Timeshift was a tool I needed to get to know.

It took a couple of times to try and create a Snapshot only to find/realize that it was not possible to make a Snapshot of the USB drive from the USB. It could only create a Snapshot of a HHD/SSD from an installed LM22.

I have always planned on the use of two Windows programs (not games). I also do not want a dual-boot system nor the use of a VM's. So while still on the USB I installed Bottles and the two Windows programs. I had found that the programs worked well.

Fast forward... after installing LM22 on the SSD, the first thing I did was set the Firewall to ON and then made a few visual Preferences. Then I created a Timeshift Snapshot, and stored it on an external drive. No problems. Easy to use. Reboot. No errors - anywhere. Confident I could at least Recover to that point, I spent the next week using my new home. What fun.

Side note: My Data is never stored on my OS drive, not even on a seperate partition

After a day or two on the SSD I installed Bottles. No install Errors; reboot, No Errors. Then I installed the two Windows programs. Again, No Errors.

During installation of the programs, I saw a possible way to choose some different values that made sense for down the road.

I chose to use the Snapshot to take me back to Known-Good rather than spending time to understand how to uninstall the programs and Bottles. And I wanted understanding and practice in the use Timeshift.

Since I was successful in creating a Snapshot from my hard disk, I went back there and did a Restore. Well, it went through on the screen as expected (no errors) and rebooted. No errors but not Restored.

Did a bunch of reading and also put this on the forum. Found I should have been Booting from my original USB. Done. Same process...Timeshift, browse to Snapshot....etc. Well, it went through on the screen as expected (no errors) and rebooted. No errors but not Restored.

????????

Thank you for your thoughts and feedback


hey @davinci74 I saw you following this so droped this in so youget notice of all the updats so far
Can you elaborate on this? You talking about booting from the external HDD and then restoring from time shift?
 
No need to intrupt your holidays. Thank you for your response but this can wait - be with family and friends through the season.

Hey IronWolfusa - Merry Christmas

At first, when I was on the USB only "playing" with LM22 I was reminded that Timeshift was a tool I needed to get to know.

It took a couple of times to try and create a Snapshot only to find/realize that it was not possible to make a Snapshot of the USB drive from the USB. It could only create a Snapshot of a HHD/SSD from an installed LM22.

I have always planned on the use of two Windows programs (not games). I also do not want a dual-boot system nor the use of a VM's. So while still on the USB I installed Bottles and the two Windows programs. I had found that the programs worked well.

Fast forward... after installing LM22 on the SSD, the first thing I did was set the Firewall to ON and then made a few visual Preferences. Then I created a Timeshift Snapshot, and stored it on an external drive. No problems. Easy to use. Reboot. No errors - anywhere. Confident I could at least Recover to that point, I spent the next week using my new home. What fun.

Side note: My Data is never stored on my OS drive, not even on a seperate partition

After a day or two on the SSD I installed Bottles. No install Errors; reboot, No Errors. Then I installed the two Windows programs. Again, No Errors.

During installation of the programs, I saw a possible way to choose some different values that made sense for down the road.

I chose to use the Snapshot to take me back to Known-Good rather than spending time to understand how to uninstall the programs and Bottles. And I wanted understanding and practice in the use Timeshift.

Since I was successful in creating a Snapshot from my hard disk, I went back there and did a Restore. Well, it went through on the screen as expected (no errors) and rebooted. No errors but not Restored.

Did a bunch of reading and also put this on the forum. Found I should have been Booting from my original USB. Done. Same process...Timeshift, browse to Snapshot....etc. Well, it went through on the screen as expected (no errors) and rebooted. No errors but not Restored.

????????

Thank you for your thoughts and feedback


hey @davinci74 I saw you following this so droped this in so youget notice of all the updats so far
No problem! You and yours have a very Merry Christmas too!
 
So it sounds like you have solved the problem. I knew you’d figure it out when you keep playing with it..
 
So it sounds like you have solved the problem.

No, he hasn't, as shown below.

Well, it went through on the screen as expected (no errors) and rebooted. No errors but not Restored.

????????

I'll be back when I can, with more, I may have the answer.

Wizard
 

Staff online


Top