How to create and use BTRFS snapshots - Tutorial

I've written a tutorial explaining how to use create snapshots of the BTRFS filesystem from the command line. This is the future, methinks. Or not.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/btrfs-snapshots.html


Cheers,
Mrk

 

I'm not trying to be a smart ass- Butt why would I want to use a file system that is not considered stable?

 

There are people who like to test new, unstable stuff. The rest of us who don't eventually benefit from their experience.

 

Exactly and thats why Linux has myriads of FS whereas the other system has but one ancient one which recently got updated.

 

Mr.Y, you should not. But if you want to know how to snapshot, then this tutorial might be handy. And when the filesystem does eventually become stable, then you will have killed three birds with one mortar round.
Mrk

 

http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2012/02/suse-breaks-with-tradition-for.php

 

An interesting article- They say it's on par with the "ext" file system.

 

Would I be able to use Ubuntu and install updates with this file system? What are the limitations?

 

In a nutshell, you may suffer from:

Performance
Inexplicable crashes
Data loss

Cheers,
Mrk

 

I won't be using it after all.....!

 

Snapper - BTRFS snapshot management frontend

I've written a short tutorial explaining how to use Snapper in openSUSE to manage and restore BTRFS snapshots. This article should complement the more in-depth BTRFS guide from earlier.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/snapper.html


Cheers,
Mrk

 

'Oracle Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel Release 2' now also offers btrfs including, like Suse, a btrfs check/repair tool.

"An updated version of btrfsfsck, a tool to check and repair a Btrfs file system, is now included in the btrfs-progs package. This new btrfsck now supports a --repair option that allows fixing errors in the extent allocation tree and block group accounting. btrfsck also provides the option --init-csum-tree which replaces the check-sum root with an empty one. This will clear out the CRCs but allows the file-system to be mounted with the mount option nodatasum." link

 

A critique on the decision by Suse and Oracle to implement btrfs, in an article in Heise Online: 'Kernel Comment: Btrfs too fast?'

"...Speaking of corrupted filesystems: Btrfs has at least been field tested here and there – which can't be said for the improved test and repair tool for Btrfs drives that everyone has been anticipating for so many months. The "improved" Btrfsck you now provide hasn't even become available on its own yet. Your code appears to be based on code that can be found in a Git branch of the Btrfs tools' source code – a branch that carries the alarming name "dangerdonteveruse". ..." link

Some info on Thorsten Leemhuis link