Transfer TimeShift file to USB flash drive [Solved]

[Ricker]

Hello,


How do I Transfer the TimeShift file to USB flash drive..??

I don't see the flash drive in the file manager.?

Thanks





(Still a Newbie)

[Mattyboy]

Use the

Code: Select all

cd

command to get to your timeshift partition

Example.

Code: Select all

cd /mnt/timeshift/timeshift

Use

Code: Select all

ls

to list the folders within
Then the cp copy command

Code: Select all

sudo cp -R snapshots-daily/ ~/Desktop

replace snapshots-daily/ with whatever folder you wish to copy.
replace ~/Desktop with the path to your USB ( think it'll need to be formatted to ext4 )

Use

Code: Select all

lsblk

with the USB mounted to see its path and the path to timeshift

More information about these commands can be found here https://www.computerhope.com/unix.htm

[slipstick]

I let timeshift store snapshots on my internal hard drive on a separate partition, but I keep a copy on an external USB hard drive which I update every day or two. I use a script file with rsync to keep the snapshot structure intact with all the hard links.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
#update timeshift backup on external drive from snapshots on internal HD

sudo rsync -aAuHXvis --progress --delete --numeric-ids /media/root/LM18_timeshift/ /media/steve/Z97_LM_Backup/LM18.3_timeshift_backup/timeshift | tee ~/timeshift_backup_log

echo "Finished updating timeshift backup"

sleep 10
exit 0

I probably have more options in that than I really need, but it seems to work fine.

[Ricker]

Use the

Code: Select all

cd

command to get to your timeshift partition

Example.

Code: Select all

cd /mnt/timeshift/timeshift

Use

Code: Select all

ls

to list the folders within
Then the cp copy command

Code: Select all

sudo cp -R snapshots-daily/ ~/Desktop

replace snapshots-daily/ with whatever folder you wish to copy.
replace ~/Desktop with the path to your USB ( think it'll need to be formatted to ext4 )

Use

Code: Select all

lsblk

with the USB mounted to see its path and the path to timeshift

More information about these commands can be found here https://www.computerhope.com/unix.htm

At the moment I have the flash drive format with ext4 and made one snap shot with Timeshift..


No such file or directory...

cd /mnt/timeshift/timeshift

[Ricker]

I let timeshift store snapshots on my internal hard drive on a separate partition, but I keep a copy on an external USB hard drive which I update every day or two. I use a script file with rsync to keep the snapshot structure intact with all the hard links.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
#update timeshift backup on external drive from snapshots on internal HD

sudo rsync -aAuHXvis --progress --delete --numeric-ids /media/root/LM18_timeshift/ /media/steve/Z97_LM_Backup/LM18.3_timeshift_backup/timeshift | tee ~/timeshift_backup_log

echo "Finished updating timeshift backup"

sleep 10
exit 0

I probably have more options in that than I really need, but it seems to work fine.

I have a failing hard drive and need to move the system and programs to another location.. Then restore to a new SSD..

[slipstick]

I have a failing hard drive and need to move the system and programs to another location.. Then restore to a new SSD..

In that case, Aptik may be your best bet:
http://www.teejeetech.in/p/aptik.html

No such file or directory...

If you are on LM18, you timeshift snapshots will probably be at /media/root/timeshift

[AZgl1800]

I would suggest you refrain from storing the Timeshift files on the HDD period.

Make a habit of plugging in a extUSB HDD, and then do a manual Create Timeshift.

that is what I do, and have never had a problem.
I use a laptop as a daily driver, so keeping a USB drive plugged in "all the time" is not possible.
that is why I use Manual Only mode.

IMO, there is not need for hourly, or even, daily backups.
I only make them when I make a change to the OS, install a new app, etc...

this practice has worked out extremely well for me, I had installed Snapper and found out it won't work with ext4 filesystem. so, I just backed up the the Timeshift file before it was installed, wallah! no Snapper anymore.


you can see my methodology here.
https://i.imgur.com/mR7KIhn.png

[Cosmo.]

How do I Transfer the TimeShift file to USB flash drive..??

Not doable. It will break the hardlinks in the snapshots and following that the snapshots themselves.

[Mattyboy]

No such file or directory...

cd /mnt/timeshift/timeshift

These are examples of the commands you need to run, you need to identify the source path of the files you wish to copy/backup then the destination path of where you wish to copy them ( your USB ).

As others have pointed out this will only make a back up of your time shift files. Which is fine but it will break the usable paths ( that again ). If you restore the backed up files on the USB back to their original location then they should work.

If you want to set the USB as the default location of where timeshift stores its files you can do so, do this within the program itself, but remember the USB will have to be plugged in for this to work.

Nothing wrong with making periodic backups of your timeshift files to another location.

[slipstick]

How do I Transfer the TimeShift file to USB flash drive..??

Not doable. It will break the hardlinks in the snapshots and following that the snapshots themselves.

I use the script in post #3 above to transfer the TS snapshots from my internal HDD to my external USB HDD, and as far as I can determine, the copy on the USB drive is an identical copy to the one on the internal drive, hard links and all.

Screenshot of the backup on my external USB drive

TS_Backup_ScrnShot1.png

Down one level to see all the snapshots on that drive

TS_Backup_ScrnShot2.png

Down another level to see only the daily snapshots

TS_Backup_ScrnShot3.png

[slipstick]

Down another level to show one snapshot

TS_Backup_ScrnShot4.png

[AZgl1800]

your eyes must be better than mine, those fonts are so tiny, I can't even make out the text.
even with the blown up full screen view.

[Ricker]

I had to reformat the 8GB USB flash drive with the LM menu USB Stick Formatter and then deleted the TS snap shot on HD. I ran TS again with no time schedule selected and then select the TS wizard. Selected the USB flash drive as the TS storage device...

At the moment the Linux Mint system is saving the TS snap shot on the USB flash drive....

My next project will be to save Fire fox and the bookmarks...

The Linux Mint document and picture folders can be sent to a USB HD FAT32 folder...

[slipstick]

your eyes must be better than mine, those fonts are so tiny, I can't even make out the text.
even with the blown up full screen view.

Click with your mouse on the screen shot and it will open a new window or tab with the expanded view that you can read.

[slipstick]

The Linux Mint document and picture folders can be sent to a USB HD FAT32 folder...

But saving to a FAT format you lose the ownership and permissions.

[Cosmo.]

I use the script in post #3 above to transfer the TS snapshots from my internal HDD to my external USB HDD

Tony George (TS developer) provided some time ago a command for moving, but he stated at the same time, that this is not recommended. Following that I will stay for the question for moving snapshots with the answer, which I gave. Tony said here the same.

[AZgl1800]

My next project will be to save Fire fox and the bookmarks...

All you need to do, is setup Firefox Sync, and select Bookmarks.
I have been doing that for years, you will never loose your bookmarks that way.

IF, you think that your local copy of bookmarks is corrupted. disconnect the Internet.
Now, open up FF Library by clicking on Bookmarks "Show all"

Now in the Library, delete everything period.

exit Firefox.
Restart Firefox and wait, if you have a large number of Bookmarks, it can take quite a while to download them all again. Once they are totally downloaded, it will then sort them in the original manner that they were.

I have performed this many, many times. It never fails.

Usually, it is because I just made a fresh install of Linux/Windows on a new machine, or in Virtualbox.

FF Sync is golden. use it.
if you make a local copy of Bookmarks, always use the .json method, the html method does not preserve things accurately.

[Klaas Vaak]

I let timeshift store snapshots on my internal hard drive on a separate partition, but I keep a copy on an external USB hard drive which I update every day or two. I use a script file with rsync to keep the snapshot structure intact with all the hard links.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
#update timeshift backup on external drive from snapshots on internal HD

sudo rsync -aAuHXvis --progress --delete --numeric-ids /media/root/LM18_timeshift/ /media/steve/Z97_LM_Backup/LM18.3_timeshift_backup/timeshift | tee ~/timeshift_backup_log

echo "Finished updating timeshift backup"

sleep 10
exit 0

I probably have more options in that than I really need, but it seems to work fine.

Slipstick, I have a very basic question, and I apologise if it annoys you: where do you store the script and, even more importantly, how do you run a script?

[slipstick]

Slipstick, I have a very basic question, and I apologise if it annoys you: where do you store the script and, even more importantly, how do you run a script?

I don't know why you think I might be annoyed by your question - I'm always happy to answer a question when I know the answer (and sometimes when I don't ). Just store the script in a file - I end all my script file names with ".sh" and store them in my /home/<my user name>/bin folder. I call this one update_timeshift_backup.sh. Give the file execute permission - mine has -rwx------ permission. Be sure to modify the source and destination in the rsync statement to match your system. To make it easy to launch, I have created a launcher on my desktop. On Cinnamon, just right click on the desktop and select the option "Create a new launcher here". Name the launcher, enter the path and filename in the "Command" box (or use the browse button), and check the box "Launch in terminal".

Be aware that this process takes a while to run - typically 15-20 minutes on my system. It first deletes all the out of date snapshots from the USB drive, then appears to do nothing for about 10 minutes, then begins writing the new snapshots to the USB drive. At the end, the USB drive should have a duplicate of the snapshots on the internal HDD. You might prefer not to use the script and just add snapshots to your USB drive by changing the destination in TimeShift to make an On-demand snapshot to USB, then change the destination back to internal disk. That way you can have one set of snapshots on internal HDD and another on USB drive. They won't be exactly the same, but that really shouldn't matter. The reason I do it with the script is - first, I like having an exact duplicate (no good reason, really), and second, running the script is less work - just plug in the USB drive and click on the launcher. Otherwise, I would have to open TS, click on Setting, then on Location, then on the USB drive, then close that window, then start a snapshot, then at the end, change the destination back and close TS. The script would probably run faster if you delete the log file it keeps, if you don't want that - in the rsync line you would erase the part on the end of the line | tee ~/timeshift_backup_log.

[cliffcoggin]

your eyes must be better than mine, those fonts are so tiny, I can't even make out the text.
even with the blown up full screen view.

Click with your mouse on the screen shot and it will open a new window or tab with the expanded view that you can read.

Even then it isn't easy for some of us old codgers.

PS. I have just realised the significance of your nickname and picture. I recently rediscovered my 52 year old slide rule and found I could still use it!