timeshift(8)
Timeshift is a system restore utility that creates incremental filesystem snapshots using rsync or BTRFS, allowing you to roll back your system to a previous state.
Synopsis
timeshift [--check] [--create] [--restore] [--delete] [--list] [OPTIONS]Description
Timeshift creates snapshots of your system at regular intervals or on-demand. It can store multiple versions of your system state and restore them when needed, making it useful for recovering from software errors, configuration mistakes, or unintended system changes.
Timeshift works with both BTRFS-formatted volumes and ext4/other filesystems using rsync-based snapshots. It can be configured to run automatically via cron jobs or triggered manually. Snapshots are incremental, saving disk space by storing only changes between snapshots.
Root privileges are required for most operations. Timeshift excludes user files and caches by default, focusing on system files and configuration.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
--create | Create a new snapshot |
--restore | Restore system from a snapshot (interactive selection) |
--list | List all available snapshots |
--delete | Delete a snapshot |
--check | Check if scheduled snapshots are due |
--snapshot-device | Specify the device to snapshot (e.g., /dev/sda1) |
--tags | Set snapshot tags (D=daily, W=weekly, M=monthly, O=on-demand) |
--comments | Add a comment to the snapshot |
--btrfs | Use BTRFS snapshots instead of rsync |
--rsync | Use rsync-based snapshots (default for non-BTRFS) |
--quiet | Run without prompts in non-interactive mode |
Examples
Create a manual snapshot with a descriptive comment
sudo timeshift --create --comments 'Before kernel upgrade'Display all existing snapshots with dates and tags
sudo timeshift --listInteractively select and restore from an available snapshot
sudo timeshift --restoreDelete a specific snapshot by name
sudo timeshift --delete --snapshot '2024-01-15_10-30-45'Check if scheduled snapshots are due (used in cron jobs)
sudo timeshift --checkLaunch the GUI version for easier snapshot management
sudo timeshift-launcher