Check and see if it is really taking btrfs snapshots.
Yeah true what I expected wa the "ubuntu based partitioning required " error to pop up which surprisingly didn't.
How do I check this?.
It shouldn't do that if the user explicitly selected btrfs as snap type on first startup.. If users get an error with non @ partitioning and it doesn't go round auto why/if it changed to rsync auto for me?
I tried to take a Timeshift snapshot of my external hard drive, Timeshift gave error saying "@" was not found. You can try creating empty btrfs partition, creating a subvolume without "@" in its name and taking a Timeshift snapshot of it.
Haven't you seen including "@home" in Timeshift? So when it specifically says "@home", it needs "@" and "@home".
I will do what you said, But that means I can take a snap of the really essential stuff from my pc without using using the @ convention which is really contradictory to the readme.
But I don't have a @ let alone @home if I didn't have a @ how did it take a snap.
You are confused. You cannot install an application outside "@", because your /usr, /bin, etc. are all inside the "@". You will understand it if you boot into live-iso and mount this partition.
Run the btrfs command above:
sudo btrfs subvolume list /
snapshots are subvolumes
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Yes but my root is not named @. How did jt take a snap if I don't have a @ it Def took a snap of stuff inside my root.
What does it show? “@” or “root”?
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You would also see the timeshift snapshots if it took one.
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Think of subvolumes/snapshots/@s as containers. @root contains /, @home contains /home, etc.
Other subvolumes/snapshots/@s contain copies of what was in @root, for instance, to be the most local of all local backups.
The nitty gritty: btrfs Wiki
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The Ubuntu-style "@" are only needed by Timeshift. If Garuda gets rid of Timeshift I would be happy. The same purpose could be filled within Garuda Assistant, it already has a btrfs category.
for updates, a garuda-hook for btrfs snapshot would be enough, no need of Timeshift-autosnap. Timeshift is designed with Ubuntu in mind, it has its own limitation of taking snapshot, that is "@" and "@home".
If Garuda gets rid of Timeshift, this problem would vanish. A few more buttons in Garuda Assistant could make Timeshift-independent.
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According to my logic we would just need to fork tomeshift, ask the owner to modify and use it, the ubuntu based convention is used for identification of partitions only right? If we re make the partition locator we won't need to use the @ convention. Am I correct?
So, I personally don’t use @ style subvolumes(or timeshift) on my own systems. That being said, I don’t really understand why people get so concerned about the @ naming convention. It neither helps nor hurts anything. What reason is there to not use that naming convention? What advantage would it bring?
A few things here:
- Timeshift is doing more than just taking snapshots around updates, it is also taking periodic snapshots and pruning snapshots based on rules. While Garuda could build infrastructure to replace all that, what would be the actual benefit to make developing and maintaining all the worth it when there are already tools that do those things?
- Timeshift is a horrifically limited tool when it comes to btrfs, it basically limits you to only being able to take snapshots of certain volumes for system recovery purposes. That being said, within the framework of that one thing, it does it well. Further, it is far easier to use than any of the alternatives out there.
- Something like snapper is far more flexible but it is more complicated.
From my perspective, that isn’t a “problem”. However, if it is a problem, it is dolphin that has a problem, not timeshift.
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I suppose you could fork timeshift but I would have two questions somewhat similar to the above.
- Why do you care so much about whether or not the subvolume names have
@symbols in them? - Timeshift isn’t the only tool for taking btrfs snapshots, why not just use a different one if timeshift doesn’t meet you needs?
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I just replied to what samexpert said I don't have a problem with tkmeshift
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“If a program doesn’t compile, keep deleting lines until it does. At some point the program will compile.”
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I agree. I added this as a little (very little) benifit, the Garuda team may save few posts in future. For me it is 0 problem, since I don’t use that shortcut button at all.
I think I did not describe properly, sorry for that. I’m not highlighting “@” as a problem, to make it clear, I’m fine with it. I even created the same “@” structure in my phone by myself, inspired by the same OpenSUSE idea. I like the way and am happy with it 
Why I asked not to depend on Timeshift:
Summary
About Timeshift, there are some problems:
- Browse snapshot does not work in KDE. Till now I never could by pressing Browse button.
- Remember the Timeshift bug that created number of posts here and
SKIP_AUTOSNAP=1was suggested? - It is creating Qgroups automatically which is not recommended by Arch Wiki which says performance problems may occur.
Currently I don’t use Timeshift as I am somewhat comfortable with btrfs.
This is an alternative I can suggest… Feel free to ignore it, since I’m still new and learning it, so way far from being an expert in it
1. For taking automatic snapshots, a garuda-hook, containing this command:
btrfs subvolume snapshot /
2. For browsing snapshots, opening the snapshot folders (xdg-open) created by btrfs tool. If a user wants to delete a snapshot, deleting the snapshot folder would be the same.
3. For automatic snapshot (a Timeshift’s feature as @dalto said) from time to time: A check mark in Garuda Assistant to enable the systemd timer.
4. For restoring to a snapshot, just mv the current subvolume to the date & time, and the snapshot to (“@” maybe?)
Took help from SysadminGuide - btrfs Wiki
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@ volumes, subvolumes demonstrate the fluidity of the BTRFS. If you grok it (and I don't) you can setup all sorts of nested stuff. I dunno how much stuff I've read on it, but it must be a lot if my bookmarks are anything to judge.
It's particularly handy with some server RAID setups. Or so I hear.
All I really do know about BTRFS, is the more I learn about it the more confused I get. It's really not made for 60-70 year olds who have a loose grasp (at best) on anything virtual or fluid. Hell, I can't even remember how to set the time on the microwave, and that's real world hardware. 
But I did save a bundle at GEICO!
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Removing the check mark in the Timeshift/settings/users tab easily disables this option. I keep it disabled, but it is helpful if you are trying to manage your storage space accurately.
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