Timeshift and the Settings

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EverGreen
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by EverGreen »

Can timeshift crash a harddisk?

Mine recently crashed. While a copied a large file onto it. The logs revealed a timeshift access.
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AZgl1800
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by AZgl1800 »

EverGreen wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:29 am Can timeshift crash a harddisk?

Mine recently crashed. While a copied a large file onto it. The logs revealed a timeshift access.
Yes, IF

you did NOT specify the Storage Location to a Separate device other than the partition your OS is on.

I always divide my SSDs / HDDs into two partitions.
the 1st one I use for the OS, the 2nd one I use for backups and label it /Backup

if you never did a proper setup on Timeshift, it is defaulting to the same partition as your Root and filling it up.

see the pix.

Timeshift Setup.png
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EverGreen
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by EverGreen »

The timeshift location is on my dump drive. That is a different drive than where my OS is. OS = SSD, dump drive = HDD.
Timeshift is setup for dump drive.
But I take your answer as a yes and will disable it. It seems more trouble than it is worth. I always have a backup Linux on my computer.
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APSchmidt
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by APSchmidt »

EverGreen wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:18 pm But I take your answer as a yes and will disable it. It seems more trouble than it is worth.
My experience with Timeshift is completely different; it works very well for me and I've never had a problem with it running every day. And it saved my butt several times already.
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AZgl1800
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by AZgl1800 »

EverGreen wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 2:18 pm The timeshift location is on my dump drive. That is a different drive than where my OS is. OS = SSD, dump drive = HDD.
Timeshift is setup for dump drive.
But I take your answer as a yes and will disable it. It seems more trouble than it is worth. I always have a backup Linux on my computer.
??

I did not say it too hard to use,
I said it needs to be configured properly.

I am staying the weekend with a good friend 5 hours from my home

Lightning took out his Internet, and his 18.3 is now EOL.

so, I installed 19.3, and immediately configured Timeshift to save to his 2nd /Backup partition.

Took almost 5 minutes to do it and done with.

Now, if he ever has a problem, he can backup to yesterday, or last week, or last month.
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EverGreen
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by EverGreen »

I only used timehsift, because I upgraded Mint, and thus it was mandatory to use it.
My butt is troubled by erratic, blocking "disc" activity without announcement.
For any trouble I have with Mint, timeshift won't help.
The setup is simple enough. But I do not have any need for it.
A new installation is simple and fast. But I have never resorted to that.
HaveaMint
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by HaveaMint »

If you don't want to use it then don't, it isn't mandatory.
timeshift.png
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AndyMH
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by AndyMH »

EverGreen wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 4:52 am I only used timehsift, because I upgraded Mint, and thus it was mandatory to use it.
Not mandatory, but don't expect much sympathy if you bork your PC and don't have a backup.

First time timeshift runs it copies everything, thereafter it only copies what has changed = quick. I don't see any noticeable slowdown in my laptop when it (or backintime) runs after the first snapshot. Not exactly state of the art, i5-3320, 8GB RAM with an SSD (source) and HDD (destination) both on sata3.
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HaveaMint
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by HaveaMint »

AndyMH wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:49 pm
EverGreen wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 4:52 am I only used timehsift, because I upgraded Mint, and thus it was mandatory to use it.
I don't see any noticeable slowdown in my laptop when it (or backintime) runs after the first snapshot.
I have to go and check if it did it. It always does but I check anyway, definite sign of insanity when you do the same thing over and over again expecting different results.
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by Petermint »

First time timeshift runs it copies everything, thereafter it only copies what has changed = quick.
when you backup to Ext4!

Does not work like that if you backup to a FAT or NTFS partition, the default on external disks.

I have Timeshift switched off on my laptop and run a snapshot manually to an external Ext4 disk only after a kernel update or a similar huge update. For my desktop with multiple disks and a fast processor, the snapshot is to a spare small SSD left over from a laptop upgrade.
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AndyMH
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by AndyMH »

Petermint wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 6:22 pm Does not work like that if you backup to a FAT or NTFS partition, the default on external disks.
To the best of my knowledge timeshift will only backup to a native linux filesystem and simply because fat/ntfs are the default on usb drives doesn't mean you can't change it.
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HaveaMint
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by HaveaMint »

AndyMH wrote: Wed Apr 28, 2021 6:26 pm To the best of my knowledge timeshift will only backup to a native linux filesystem.
It will not do a snapshop to a non ext. You may be able to copy it to a fat/ntfs but TS won't do it.
From what I have read so far only ext3 &4
Last edited by HaveaMint on Fri Apr 01, 2022 3:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Petermint
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by Petermint »

Backintime and Timeshift work the same, using rsync. They avoid creating duplicates by building links to inodes, something that exists only on Ext4. Backintime will backup to NTFS but every snapshot is a full long slow copy. I am sure Timeshift did a full slow snapshot for the second copy to an NTFS disk before I remembered to reformat.
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by HaveaMint »

Petermint wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:56 am I am sure Timeshift did a full slow snapshot for the second copy to an NTFS disk before I remembered to reformat.
ts-ntfs.png
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SMG
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by SMG »

Moderator note: Several support questions and their responses have been split into individual topics.
[SOLVED] Timeshift not excluding directories selected
[SOLVED] How to use Timeshift on a VPS Server?
Timeshift seems to be hung

Per the forum rules in the pink box at the top, "Don't add support questions to tutorials please; start your own topic in the appropriate sub-forum instead." Timeshift is a software application so please create your topic with your question in Software & Applications.
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by Jerboum »

According my experience it appears that Timeshift is not successful to move a system to another disk
After proceeding to the restoration and editing fstab as it must be, the boot fails
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AZgl1800
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by AZgl1800 »

Jerboum wrote: Sun Jun 18, 2023 7:28 am According my experience it appears that Timeshift is not successful to move a system to another disk
After proceeding to the restoration and editing fstab as it must be, the boot fails
it is NOT meant to do that, no way it can.
timeshift has HARD links to the existing HHD partitions, not to a new HDD/SSD

what you can do though, is use Aptik to make a backup of all of the Applications, and settings that you like to keep.

then you do a Fresh install on the new drive,
then run Aptik in Restore mode BEFORE YOU DO UPDATES OR ANYTHING, PERIOD.

it will list at the end of the run, those applications that do NOT exist in the Repository, stuff you manually installed via PPAs

copy those to a Text File, so you know what you need to install again
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Re: Timeshift and the Settings

Post by SMG »

Moderator note: Jerboum's discussion of their experience, which appears to be unrelated to Timeshift, and the posts in response to it can now be found here Timeshift experience issues.

This is a tutorial topic. It is not a place to ask questions about your issues with Timeshift. Ask your questions about issues with Timeshift in the Software & Applications forum.

This is also not a chat topic. Post your experiences and chit chat with Timeshift (ie. no help is needed) in the Chat about Linux Mint forum.

Topic will remain locked to help enforce the rule stated at the top of the page, "Don't add support questions to tutorials; start your own topic in the appropriate sub-forum instead."
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