I am looking for some backup and/or imaging software.
Primarily, I’d like to install Manjaro, get it all set-up, then make an image of the OS. Then, after updates, I’d like to re-image, or add to the image of the OS.
Then, if the “fit hits the shan,” for any reason, I can just re-image the HD from the backup, and my system is up and running again.
I have “TimeShift,” but it only creates a restore point. And, using BTRFS, it will only allow me to make a restore point on the root drive…
I have a program called Macrium Reflect for my Windows partition, but need something similar for Manjaro.
Not as elaborate as Reflect for imaging, but CloneZilla is always my “go-to” when needing to clone a disk (or partition) for later restoration.
A while ago I authored this tutorial which I include here not for you to follow, but to illustrate how relatively easy CloneZilla is to use.
It’s truly unfortunate that Macrium no longer offer a free version of Reflect; the cost of the “paid” alternative is quite prohibitive for the average “home user”.
I’m afraid your idea about timeshift is wrong. I too have a btrfs system, but my setup is so elaborate that it’s not even possible — or rather, sensible — to use the default configuration and to create rollback points.
timeshift can be set up to create rsync-based backups on a separate volume with a Linux-native filesystem — so, no ntfs or FAT-derivatives, because they do not support UNIX permissions and file ownership, and they do not support hard-links — and this is the setup I’m using.
In other words, I have physical backups of my entire system — minus the cache directories — on a separate drive with one big btrfs filesystem — I could just as easily have used ext4, but btrfs is a more reliable filesystem in my experience.
Which method timeshift uses — i.e. btrfs snapshots or rsync’d actual backups — and which parts of the system it must and must not back up, is all configurable in the timeshift settings menu. It does however by default exclude /proc, /sys, /dev, /tmp and /run, because neither of those filesystems take up any space on your drive — /proc and /sys are pseudo-filesystems, while the other three exist only in virtual memory.
There’s only one limitation, if you can consider that — but I don’t, because that’s how timeshift works — which is that the target must be a block device, not a mountpoint or directory. timeshift will create its own mountpoint(s) (under /run) at runtime, depending on whether you’re making backups or browsing/deleting backups.
I use ventoy on usb stick. I have a couple iso there. Then I have grsync and have all home dir there for backup. I do a manuell update with Grsync for easy transport betwin my machines.
If you’re using EXT4 filesystems, there’s still nothing to beat the good old dump utility. It creates a single file (optionally compressed) with a complete image of a filesystem, which can be used to restore either an entire filesystem or any individual files within it. Once you’ve taken a full dump, you can perform incremental dumps whenever you want. My own method is to do a full dump of my root filesystem immediately before a major Manjaro update (in case something goes wrong), then a full dump of the whole system afterwards, with incremental dumps overnight every night thereafter.
The restore command is dump’s inverse.
Clonezilla is MADE for this imaging purpose. Of course, you need a storage device apart from your machine to store your image(s).
I use Penguins-Eggs to create a clone on a remote drive. It presents as an ISO file that can run live, or be installed. I like this better because I can install onto different hardware (with a compatible CPU and enough storage) and it will pull in the right drivers etc.
I confess to having known little about Penguin Eggs, despite having seen it mentioned several times. After reading some, it does indeed seem appealing.
I can testify to that. I found a flaw that only activated under certain conditions: MY conditions. I opened an issue and he responded within a day and we had a resolution and fix in under a week. Considering that I was the ONLY one reporting that issue I was amazed!
You don’t need another machine to store the image. That is an option. You just need another disk.
Foxclone is another option IF you absolutely don’t need/want to save to a NAS. Local disks only. I used Clonezilla and Foxclone for a while with nothing but my machine.
When cloning from disk (or partition) to image, a separate device is recommended to store the image – that device might be a partition on another hard disk, USB disk or, yes, another machine entirely, or perhaps NAS storage.
The important takeaway from this is that the image destination should ideally not reside on any of the disks being cloned; or in the case of partitions, it’s best that the destination not be a usual part of the system being cloned. I believe that’s the essence of the comment earlier.
Of course, CloneZilla can also clone directly from disk to disk, or from partition to partition, without the need for an image intermediary.
This can often be convenient; certainly faster, without needing to store an image. However, with that convenience comes a greater risk of data loss if, for example, there is a power outtage, disk error, or other unexpected event.
You need storage that is NOT going to be parsed by the imaging process. It can be storage on a remote host, USB storage if it is secured and fast enough, just remote from the main storage with your Linux OS. Preferably if it is local it should be removable so it is not at risk if your host releases the magic smoke!
PS. soundofthunder understood my meaning perfectly, and stated the case better than I did EITHER time!
Thank you.
Otherwise, it can likely be put to good use for other purposes; also available from the official Manjaro repositories.
However, I noticed the following warning on the FSArchiver site which might be an important consideration now that Manjaro installs default to a BTRFS file system:
