Timeshift is a backup and restore tool for Linux that creates system snapshots, allowing users to revert their system to a previous state in case of errors, updates gone wrong, or system corruption. It works similarly to Windows System Restore or macOS Time Machine but focuses on system files rather than personal data. Timeshift supports rsync (incremental backups with hard links) and btrfs snapshots (for filesystems with built-in snapshot support).
A good practice is to make a system snapshot with timeshift before making a full system upgrade. Here I will provide a basic setup to accomplish this, but you can read the Timeshift Arch Wiki Page for more information.
Install the package and enable a chosen cron scheduler (cronie for this case)
sudo pacman -S timeshift cronie
sudo systemctl start cronie.service
sudo systemctl enable cronie.service
Tip:
Open the Timeshift GUI from your applications menu and make an initial setup by clicking on Wizard
For ext4 filesystems:
- Choose
rsync.- Choose your disk.
- Select daily snapshots and keep from 2-3 of them.
- Click finish
Although you can manipulate Timeshift with a GUI, the Command Line Interface (CLI) helps with automation of snapshops. For example, you can make a bash script that makes a snapshot, and then a full system upgrade
#!/bin/bash
sudo timeshift --create --comments "update $(date +%y)w$(date +%U)"
sudo pacman -Syu
This creates a snapshop with a comment update ##w## that updates with the year and current week, e.g. 25w13 is Week 13 of 2025.
After the snapshot, it upgrades the system.