Timeshift & Similar Solutions - Safeguard & Recover Your Linux

Keep going, all you need is to list the question number (or hash), and copy and paste the text figure into your reply pane here, or type it in

eg

1. 9.6G

Ta
 


Keep going, all you need is to list the question number (or hash), and copy and paste the text figure into your reply pane here, or type it in

eg

1. 9.6G

Ta
I'm going to put them all in a single reply, then delete the other ones
 
Something went wrong when I pasted the images from screen shot. they got out of order.
I'm going to start at the beginning. I don't think it will take long this time.
 
OK, I have to go out for an hour or so,

Back when I can.
 
Ta, for that, Sherri.

With 11 snapshots now at close to 10 GB each, there could be maybe 110 GB of your 1 TB drive being used for Timeshift storage.

Now might be a good time to consider a longer term approach.

We are beyond the scope, now, for a 64 GB USB stick, unless you limit it to say 5 snapshots and manually cull them when it is getting full.

If it is going to take some time to either find a spare HDD or get a hold of one, then we can show you how to re-partition your current drive to reduce the size allocated to LM 21.3 and generate a Partition for Timeshift storage, formatted to EXT4, which Timeshift uses.

Tools for effecting that outcome could include GNOME Disks or Gparted, both of which are on your LM Live USB stick, and it would be performed from there.

Teaching you to use those should be the subject of a new thread, titled eg

"How Do I Re-partition my HDD to to resize and include a new EXT4 partition?"

Once that is concluded, you can come back here and we can look at a longer term strategy, teaching you how to restore a snapshot, and so on.

Cheers

Wizard
 
Ta, for that, Sherri.

With 11 snapshots now at close to 10 GB each, there could be maybe 110 GB of your 1 TB drive being used for Timeshift storage.

Now might be a good time to consider a longer term approach.

We are beyond the scope, now, for a 64 GB USB stick, unless you limit it to say 5 snapshots and manually cull them when it is getting full.

If it is going to take some time to either find a spare HDD or get a hold of one, then we can show you how to re-partition your current drive to reduce the size allocated to LM 21.3 and generate a Partition for Timeshift storage, formatted to EXT4, which Timeshift uses.

Tools for effecting that outcome could include GNOME Disks or Gparted, both of which are on your LM Live USB stick, and it would be performed from there.

Teaching you to use those should be the subject of a new thread, titled eg

"How Do I Re-partition my HDD to to resize and include a new EXT4 partition?"

Once that is concluded, you can come back here and we can look at a longer term strategy, teaching you how to restore a snapshot, and so on.

Cheers

Wizard
Right now I would rather partition the HDD. I'm going to have to move soon. I have a lot of crap! I have a 750GB external drive with a lot space on it, but keeping it on the HDD would be a lot more convenient right now.

So now I have question that actually is related to Timeshift.

Why is it necessary to keep so many snapshots? If I have the 5 or so the were working, I wouldn't want to go all the way back to the installation of LM 21.2, get updates , then upgrade to 21.3 and get updates again?
 
Why is it necessary to keep so many snapshots?

It's not. The exercises above I gave you for me to see that Timeshift was functioning as expected, and to gauge the size of snapshots, in order to establish a timeline with which to begin making alternative arrangements for settings for the future. Also the use of Comments can be important.

I wouldn't want to go all the way back to the installation of LM 21.2, get updates , then upgrade to 21.3 and get updates again?

Agreed - if it is the case that you are happier with your graphics performance under LM 21.3 than you were with LM 21.2.

If you show us an updated screenshot of the Timeshift snapshots (like we last saw at https://www.linux.org/threads/times...afeguard-recover-your-linux.15241/post-217605

... I can give you advice on what to delete. The deletions should be performed from within a running session of Timeshift.

Wiz
 
It's not. The exercises above I gave you for me to see that Timeshift was functioning as expected, and to gauge the size of snapshots, in order to establish a timeline with which to begin making alternative arrangements for settings for the future. Also the use of Comments can be important.



Agreed - if it is the case that you are happier with your graphics performance under LM 21.3 than you were with LM 21.2.

If you show us an updated screenshot of the Timeshift snapshots (like we last saw at https://www.linux.org/threads/times...afeguard-recover-your-linux.15241/post-217605

... I can give you advice on what to delete. The deletions should be performed from within a running session of Timeshift.

Wiz
I just took another one today after an update. I was exhausted today when I got home and forgot to name it. I think I'll go back to do that....
Those kids were MORE than a handful. OH MY GAWD!!!! It's a good thing I actually LIKE being a substitute teacher... None of them have been creative enough to do what I did to my substitute teachers!
 
I backed up to "Off Topic"

Now, if I could just get that screenshot?

Tomorrow is fine.

Wiz
 
As anxious as I am to start downloading and exploring software, I think it's more important to do this first. But tonight I'm exhausted. My landlord died. His birthday was in November, 90 years old! He never stopped going until the day he died. Digging trenches, building houses on this land... His kids don't want tenants and gave everyone 3 days to move! I won't stay, but 3 days isn't going to happen.

Let me see about that last screen shot and then I have to hit the sack!
 
I keep thinking of things I should add to my post. Given that I'm so tired, I'll wait until tomorrow. Otherwise I'll fill up an entire page of this thread every time I remember something, then go back to add details I forgot so what I said previously will make sense.

I hope that makes sense. I'll leave it to the powers that be, cross my fingers and hope for the best.
 
Or maybe it was this. The one labeled "February 6" is the last one I took. I'm so tired I thought that was today. I changed the settings to once a month. I do a manual one after every update, so I thought once a month would do.

I was going to delete most of the using "Delete" in Timeshift. I deleted the very first one and it took forever. I wanted to get to other things today.

1707281691254.png
 
That's the ticket, ta.

Back on again tomorrow, don't delete any snapshots yet, please.

Nite

Wiz
 
Wiz,
I wonder if, just creating anther partition in the unused portion of the "live install" flash drive, and using it to store the Timeshift backups would be a usable solution.o_O
Ciao for now,
paul
 
A couple of notes:

  1. I changed comments on 2 snapshots, nothing in the files have been changed
    1. 2024-02-05 17:47:36 _ "Before Nord install on Feb 6"
    2. 2024-02-06 15:00:03 _ "After Nord install on Feb 6"
  2. I got more updates today
    1. My connection was INCREDIBLY SLOW, estimated time changed several times, from 4 minutes, to 40, to 20 to 54 hours, then down again. I stopped the download a couple times to check the connection on my phone and update it.
    2. I got one message that '2 Updates failed'
  3. I rebooted to Linux because sometimes that fixes weird connection issues in Windows (It did help the download speed)
    1. While it was starting back up, I saw a message about BIOS, I didn't get to read it
  4. I got the last 2 updates
  5. A reboot was requited to install them.
    1. I again saw the message above
    2. I had some trouble understanding what it said, something about 'out of area'??
  6. The final snapshot was taken immediately after the reboot.
  7. One final note after the Snapshot image.


1707349495421.png


Final note...

After opening Timeshift and clicking "Create" nothing happened. I clicked it again and nothing. I couldn't open settings, I couldn't drag the screen to the other side of the monitor. Given the connection speed and the message about BIOS, I was afraid the PC froze up.
Then I grabbed the Firefox window to try to move it out of the way. The Timeshift window moved with the browser window. That really freaked me out, especially because I don't yet know how to restore the system. After I moved the browser window, I saw a 2nd instance of Timeshift. Now I was really concerned!

Then I realized...

I had this thread open, on the page I posted the Snapshot yesterday. It just so happened that that the screen shot image in the browser is the exact same size as the instance of Timeshift open on the desktop. Hence the reason nothing would happened when I tried to create a new Snapshot!

I'm so glad I can laugh at myself!
 
OK, whichever snapshot was being taken when you rebooted will have been compromised, but you won't know it unless you try to restore from it, which we won't because we can now do a cleanup, only keeping a couple of essential snapshots, and I will explain that to follow as soon as I have put it together.

Wiz
 
I'm not positive what you mean when you say
OK, whichever snapshot was being taken when you rebooted will have been compromised,
Just to clarify, to make sure I'm on the same page as you, I took the last Snapshot today after the required reboot to install updates.
It's the after as opposed to when. I just now learning Linux "language". For all I know, there is a difference. I'm not assuming anything.

Other than comments, everything else is the same as what I posted yesterday. I put the comments in so I won't have trouble remembering exactly why I was taking a snapshot or the changes made after the 2 scheduled, monthly and daily. (Back to daily after you asked me not to change or delete anything.

A scheduled Snapshot was taken after I posted that image. I just changed the number of Snapshots to keep to 10. But of course I'll change it back to 5 if you prefer.

Just let me know when your ready to move forward.

Thank you!
 

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