Arch Linux

zdrc

Member

Registered: 2025-05-09

Posts: 2

Timeshift-autosnap, btrfs subvolumes, and zram

I have a new arch linux build with btrfs that I just set up. I set it up with timeshift for taking snapshots and I want to be able to take efficient snapshots of the system (e.g. ignore unnecessary files). I've contained `/var/log` and `/var/cache` in btrfs subvolumes so they don't make it into any snapshots taken of root.

I'd like to set up a swap on the system with zram. However, I don't want the swap to end up in root snapshots. Do I need to create an `@zram` subvolume and mount it a `/dev/zram0` in order to keep zram out of the snapshots or does timeshift automatically ignore `/dev`?

topcat01

Member

Registered: 2019-09-17

Posts: 284

Re: Timeshift-autosnap, btrfs subvolumes, and zram

zram swap is not mounted anywhere, so it should not make it into snapshots.

zdrc

Member

Registered: 2025-05-09

Posts: 2

Re: Timeshift-autosnap, btrfs subvolumes, and zram

That makes sense, thanks for the help! Does that mean nothing in `/dev` makes it into the snapshots or, rather, what are the directories in /dev? Are they not the actual devices, just ports or something?

topcat01

Member

Registered: 2019-09-17

Posts: 284

Re: Timeshift-autosnap, btrfs subvolumes, and zram

They are special device files and have no size. I don't use timeshift myself but I think it should ignore them.

Last edited by topcat01 (2025-05-10 17:33:24)

ekon12

Member

Registered: 2025-05-03

Posts: 4

Re: Timeshift-autosnap, btrfs subvolumes, and zram

Correct, AFAIK you do not need to worry about it in this case.