How to Set Up a Backup Snapshot on Linux Mint

To set up a backup snapshot on Linux Mint, use Timeshift: open it from the application menu, choose a snapshot method, select a storage location, set a schedule, and create a first snapshot. For most standard installations on ext4, choose Rsync. Use Btrfs only when Mint is installed on a Btrfs layout Timeshift supports. Timeshift is meant to restore system files and settings; keep a separate backup of documents, photos, and other personal files.

The screen illustrations below show representative Timeshift options. Exact wording and layout can vary by Linux Mint and Timeshift release.

Before you configure Timeshift

Timeshift is included with many Linux Mint installations. Search the application menu for Timeshift. If it is missing, install it through Software Manager or run sudo apt install timeshift in Terminal. Starting the app requires administrator authentication; enter your account password when prompted.

Configure the snapshot settings

1. Choose a snapshot type. In the first-run wizard, select RSYNC for a typical Linux Mint installation using ext4. Rsync snapshots work across common Linux filesystems and are the practical choice when saving to a separate disk. Btrfs mode uses native filesystem snapshots; use it only if your system uses Btrfs with Timeshift’s supported Ubuntu-style @ root subvolume layout. If you are unsure which layout you have, choose Rsync. Select Next to continue.

2. Pick a destination for Rsync snapshots. Choose a Linux partition with enough free space. For better protection if the system drive fails, use a separate internal disk or an external drive formatted with a Linux filesystem, such as ext4. Do not select the same system partition just because it appears first in the list. Timeshift manages its own snapshot folder on the selected partition. Keep an external disk connected and available when scheduled snapshots are due. In Btrfs mode, snapshots are filesystem snapshots on the Btrfs system; they are not an independent copy on another drive.

3. Set snapshot levels and retention. Enable only the intervals you need—hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, or boot—and choose how many snapshots to retain at each level. A daily and weekly plan is a reasonable starting point for a desktop, but adjust it to your available storage and how often you change the system. More retained snapshots use more space; review free space periodically and reduce the retention counts if the destination is getting full.

4. Review home directory options. The Users or Home Directories page controls whether home folders are included. Leave personal home data excluded for a system restore setup. The Include Hidden option can include hidden configuration folders such as .config; those settings may also be rolled back when you restore a snapshot. Use a separate file-backup tool for personal files. Finish the wizard after checking the remaining settings.

Create your first snapshot

In Timeshift’s main window, select Create. The first Rsync snapshot can take a while because it has to copy the system files selected for protection. Let it finish, then confirm that a new entry appears in the snapshot list. Later Rsync snapshots can reuse unchanged data through hard links, but still need adequate free space. Create a manual snapshot before a major system change, such as a Linux Mint upgrade, even if automatic scheduling is enabled.

Restore or remove a snapshot

Restore the system

To roll back system changes, select the snapshot you want from the list and click Restore. Review the restore screens carefully, especially the device and bootloader mappings, before confirming. Restoring replaces system files with the versions in that snapshot, so any included settings or files can also roll back. A restore started from the running system requires a reboot to complete. If Linux Mint will not boot, start a Linux Mint live USB, open or install Timeshift in the live session, select the disk containing the snapshots, and follow the restore prompts.

Delete snapshots you no longer need

Select an old snapshot in Timeshift and click Delete, then verify the selected entry before confirming. Deletion is permanent. Prefer adjusting the retention counts in Settings when you want Timeshift to remove older scheduled snapshots automatically. Do not let the snapshot destination run out of space; Timeshift’s upstream documentation recommends reducing snapshot levels or retention when storage is limited.

What Timeshift does not replace

Timeshift is a system restore utility, not a complete disaster-recovery plan. Keep a separate copy of your personal files on another disk or trusted backup destination. A snapshot stored on the same physical drive also cannot protect against that drive’s failure. See the Timeshift project documentation for supported filesystems and restore details, and the Linux Mint upgrade guide for an example of creating a system snapshot before an upgrade.