I don’t know much about btrfs-assistant or snapshotting. I have had to restore on Manjaro a couple of years ago and remember having to update all my applications again. For some reason, I am running into an issue and I decided to let me roll back a week in the / system and see if that helps. I opened snapper-assistant selected the snapshot I wanted and clicked restore. It said it was successful, and to reboot immediately. So I did, I then tried to run yay -Syu and it said everything was up-to-date. How is that possible, I thought the point was to restore back to a prior point so that any issues could be rolled back and reviewed.
wrong snapshot probably, I think it does two snapshots(at least in cachy), one pre and one post update
Can you share the output of sudo btrfs sub list /
Yeah, here it is.
sudo btrfs sub list /
ID 256 gen 45721 top level 5 path @
ID 257 gen 45723 top level 5 path @home
ID 258 gen 45708 top level 5 path @cache
ID 259 gen 45723 top level 5 path @log
ID 260 gen 21 top level 525 path @_backup_20252203200943560/var/lib/portables
ID 261 gen 21 top level 525 path @_backup_20252203200943560/var/lib/machines
ID 262 gen 45566 top level 525 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots
ID 265 gen 45710 top level 257 path @home/.snapshots
ID 266 gen 39147 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/1/snapshot
ID 267 gen 39148 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/3/snapshot
ID 306 gen 40475 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/29/snapshot
ID 307 gen 40476 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/30/snapshot
ID 308 gen 40478 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/31/snapshot
ID 309 gen 40479 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/32/snapshot
ID 310 gen 40481 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/33/snapshot
ID 311 gen 40488 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/34/snapshot
ID 312 gen 40492 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/35/snapshot
ID 313 gen 40493 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/36/snapshot
ID 314 gen 40507 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/37/snapshot
ID 315 gen 40508 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/38/snapshot
ID 316 gen 40514 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/39/snapshot
ID 319 gen 40707 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/41/snapshot
ID 320 gen 40750 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/42/snapshot
ID 321 gen 40752 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/43/snapshot
ID 322 gen 40761 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/16/snapshot
ID 323 gen 40762 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/44/snapshot
ID 324 gen 40773 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/45/snapshot
ID 325 gen 40783 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/46/snapshot
ID 326 gen 40788 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/47/snapshot
ID 327 gen 40791 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/48/snapshot
ID 328 gen 40792 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/49/snapshot
ID 331 gen 40907 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/51/snapshot
ID 332 gen 40911 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/18/snapshot
ID 333 gen 40912 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/52/snapshot
ID 334 gen 40919 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/53/snapshot
ID 335 gen 40923 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/54/snapshot
ID 336 gen 40927 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/55/snapshot
ID 355 gen 41653 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/65/snapshot
ID 356 gen 41667 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/28/snapshot
ID 357 gen 41667 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/66/snapshot
ID 358 gen 41743 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/67/snapshot
ID 359 gen 41762 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/68/snapshot
ID 360 gen 41766 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/69/snapshot
ID 361 gen 41769 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/70/snapshot
ID 362 gen 41770 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/71/snapshot
ID 363 gen 41774 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/72/snapshot
ID 364 gen 41783 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/73/snapshot
ID 365 gen 41788 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/74/snapshot
ID 366 gen 41789 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/75/snapshot
ID 367 gen 41795 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/76/snapshot
ID 368 gen 41796 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/77/snapshot
ID 377 gen 42129 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/82/snapshot
ID 378 gen 42144 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/83/snapshot
ID 379 gen 42150 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/84/snapshot
ID 380 gen 42158 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/85/snapshot
ID 381 gen 42159 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/86/snapshot
ID 382 gen 42164 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/87/snapshot
ID 383 gen 42200 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/33/snapshot
ID 384 gen 42200 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/88/snapshot
ID 393 gen 42543 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/38/snapshot
ID 394 gen 42544 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/93/snapshot
ID 413 gen 43505 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/103/snapshot
ID 414 gen 43506 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/104/snapshot
ID 415 gen 43512 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/105/snapshot
ID 416 gen 43517 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/106/snapshot
ID 417 gen 43519 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/107/snapshot
ID 418 gen 43526 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/48/snapshot
ID 419 gen 43527 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/108/snapshot
ID 422 gen 43782 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/110/snapshot
ID 423 gen 43820 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/50/snapshot
ID 424 gen 43821 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/111/snapshot
ID 425 gen 43922 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/112/snapshot
ID 426 gen 43924 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/113/snapshot
ID 427 gen 43928 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/114/snapshot
ID 428 gen 43929 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/115/snapshot
ID 430 gen 43946 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/116/snapshot
ID 432 gen 44066 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/117/snapshot
ID 433 gen 44184 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/53/snapshot
ID 434 gen 44185 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/118/snapshot
ID 435 gen 44280 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/119/snapshot
ID 436 gen 44288 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/120/snapshot
ID 437 gen 44293 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/121/snapshot
ID 438 gen 44295 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/122/snapshot
ID 439 gen 44296 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/123/snapshot
ID 440 gen 44300 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/124/snapshot
ID 441 gen 45646 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/125/snapshot
ID 442 gen 44427 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/54/snapshot
ID 443 gen 44428 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/126/snapshot
ID 444 gen 44547 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/55/snapshot
ID 445 gen 44547 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/127/snapshot
ID 446 gen 44671 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/56/snapshot
ID 447 gen 44671 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/128/snapshot
ID 448 gen 45566 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/129/snapshot
ID 449 gen 44746 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/130/snapshot
ID 450 gen 44749 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/131/snapshot
ID 451 gen 44783 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/132/snapshot
ID 452 gen 44784 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/133/snapshot
ID 453 gen 44818 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/57/snapshot
ID 454 gen 44819 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/134/snapshot
ID 455 gen 44870 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/135/snapshot
ID 456 gen 44887 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/136/snapshot
ID 457 gen 44903 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/137/snapshot
ID 458 gen 44942 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/58/snapshot
ID 459 gen 44942 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/138/snapshot
ID 460 gen 44981 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/139/snapshot
ID 461 gen 44987 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/140/snapshot
ID 462 gen 44989 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/141/snapshot
ID 463 gen 44995 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/142/snapshot
ID 464 gen 44996 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/143/snapshot
ID 465 gen 45003 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/144/snapshot
ID 466 gen 45018 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/145/snapshot
ID 467 gen 45031 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/146/snapshot
ID 468 gen 45033 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/147/snapshot
ID 469 gen 45062 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/59/snapshot
ID 470 gen 45078 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/148/snapshot
ID 471 gen 45089 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/149/snapshot
ID 472 gen 45094 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/150/snapshot
ID 473 gen 45095 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/151/snapshot
ID 474 gen 45101 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/152/snapshot
ID 475 gen 45124 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/153/snapshot
ID 476 gen 45126 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/154/snapshot
ID 477 gen 45128 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/155/snapshot
ID 478 gen 45129 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/156/snapshot
ID 479 gen 45132 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/157/snapshot
ID 480 gen 45133 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/158/snapshot
ID 481 gen 45137 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/60/snapshot
ID 482 gen 45138 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/159/snapshot
ID 483 gen 45164 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/160/snapshot
ID 484 gen 45165 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/161/snapshot
ID 485 gen 45180 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/162/snapshot
ID 486 gen 45224 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/163/snapshot
ID 487 gen 45236 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/61/snapshot
ID 488 gen 45236 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/164/snapshot
ID 489 gen 45243 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/165/snapshot
ID 490 gen 45245 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/166/snapshot
ID 491 gen 45277 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/167/snapshot
ID 492 gen 45278 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/168/snapshot
ID 493 gen 45352 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/62/snapshot
ID 494 gen 45353 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/169/snapshot
ID 495 gen 45357 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/170/snapshot
ID 496 gen 45359 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/171/snapshot
ID 497 gen 45382 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/172/snapshot
ID 498 gen 45383 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/173/snapshot
ID 499 gen 45406 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/63/snapshot
ID 500 gen 45407 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/174/snapshot
ID 501 gen 45411 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/175/snapshot
ID 502 gen 45448 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/176/snapshot
ID 503 gen 45485 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/64/snapshot
ID 504 gen 45485 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/177/snapshot
ID 505 gen 45529 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/5a21fd6680f3f9d42f6cedc09132a93c0b82f7c1e38cc3131fad2b32c55cefc4
ID 506 gen 45530 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/9c8c74e1af634b21da4043d83d8584940c422988dd6149d5ae00c0f2cf3abe41
ID 507 gen 45531 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/9ec881842ca80bba9cea8e68d649b23f4e394a9efa7af11dd30e87d5794dff31
ID 508 gen 45532 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/2fe7c1356199ec8fa4e349ff479e9ae83449821ab266c5f6221203e2dbac7356
ID 509 gen 45533 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/3550b1b9868c5f3b6d6592b74604065ed247ee69d731bdb76812c8cd07ed305b
ID 510 gen 45534 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/730c8406851e4b2c45c171db1b06a0797f90367cc92a118798d8e178db36787b
ID 511 gen 45535 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/a0cae989008ff66cbcbd2043c7d6028878775197bec57b3ebe988b50a0dfe112
ID 512 gen 45536 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/34ec9544651f3b3c4bc33eda01ae843400b93956460ce2a842acb917557568c4
ID 513 gen 45537 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/d7e88a152ae2bfe1166ac9139acabde6824846d9514582bbb3f34631726bef5d
ID 514 gen 45538 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/d97e774b84d38ba263b69bf741a731dc524234cb909ecbbd80b3ecba256318af
ID 515 gen 45539 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/facda3d4c71405b5b9e599057a2c55f84d6b6f26ba7ccd1392e7013edecea23d
ID 516 gen 45540 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/ac83e59fd7b352f27654cc5b972f7c19fdae127ec1ff83779becf9c99b0e2283
ID 517 gen 45541 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/617b79bbce1a950f85efbfd4db67c4887cc70047e1124d8db46e33d9dd002d6e
ID 518 gen 45542 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/6ac43a05127390f094b292c66a998f6b70089919638e1668aedcb2ed263fe81c
ID 519 gen 45543 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/54d6cbec85f01b4a71ebc5a1693ed511fb571266e1899ea56d0abd903ce0669e-init
ID 520 gen 45610 top level 256 path var/lib/docker/btrfs/subvolumes/54d6cbec85f01b4a71ebc5a1693ed511fb571266e1899ea56d0abd903ce0669e
ID 521 gen 45561 top level 262 path @_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots/178/snapshot
ID 522 gen 45647 top level 5 path @_backup_20252203200943560_backup_2025-03-22T21:26:44.679Z
ID 523 gen 45572 top level 256 path var/lib/portables
ID 524 gen 45572 top level 256 path var/lib/machines
ID 525 gen 45647 top level 5 path @_backup_20252203200943560
ID 526 gen 45705 top level 265 path @home/.snapshots/65/snapshot
For some reason after the recovery snapper stopped working and it appears it was removed. I reinstalled but now it can’t find the /.snapshots directory and if I try to create it, and do a manual, I am told it isn’t a btrfs system.
I still can’t get snapper running. Not sure but a restore broke it somehow.
OK, that is easy to fix.
Ahh…sounds like you might have made things worse trying to fix it.
Does sudo rmdir /.snapshots work?
Also, can you share the output of lsblk -o name,type,fstype,size,mountpoint,uuid? that will help us fix the other issue.
Nope, that tells me rmdir: failed to remove '/.shapshots': No such file or directory
lsblk -o name,type,fstype,size,mountpoint,uuid
NAME TYPE FSTYPE SIZE MOUNTPOINT UUID
nvme1n1 disk 1.8T
├─nvme1n1p1 part vfat 1000M /boot/efi 8282-C396
└─nvme1n1p2 part btrfs 1.8T /var/lib/docker/btrfs 224aacb7-76b6-4100-8fb0-8ec51f1bdcd8
nvme0n1 disk 1.8T
└─nvme0n1p1 part btrfs 1.8T /games 890a162b-628e-4c5d-ac65-5aacb4c28d52
It looks like I am missing the root for some reason and the 1.8T should have been the / and it looks like docker took it over somehow. Do you know how to fix that?
You spelled “snapshots” wrong.
This is just a display issue. It is nothing to be concerned about.
Embarrassing but you are correct. Spelling it correctly though didn’t help. rmdir: failed to remove '/.snapshots': No such file or directory
That is good, but I can’t get it to create the /.snapshots directory. It also tells me that snapper can’t be found as a service and I can’t start it even though it is installed. I don’t know how I broke it so bad.
You shouldn’t do that anyway. If it gets created, we will just need to figure out how to remove it.
I can help you restore everything, we just need to be sure we are ready for that step.
Can you share the output of ls -ld /.snapshots
I think we are at that step. Still no such file or directory:
ls: cannot access '/.snapshots': No such file or directory
Try this. If anything goes wrong or you get an error. Stop and don’t proceed. Doing this wrong will convert your snapshots to real files, making them inoperable.
sudo mkdir /mnt/btrfs
sudo mount /dev/nvme1n1p2 /mnt/btrfs -o subvolid=5
sudo mv /mnt/btrfs/@_backup_20252203200943560/.snapshots /mnt/btrfs/@/.snapshots
Making sure this won’t count as an error:
sudo mount /dev/nvme1n1p2 /mnt/btrfs -o subvolid=5
mount: (hint) your fstab has been modified, but systemd still uses
the old version; use 'systemctl daemon-reload' to reload.
It shouldn’t. To double check make sure that sudo ls -ld /mnt/btrfs/@ doesn’t fail.
Amazing!!! It didn’t error out, so I ran the last command and then a ls -ld and it is now there.
ls -ld /.snapshots
drwxr-x--- 1 root root 636 Mar 22 20:02 /.snapshots
going to try to see if I can create a manual backup but I still don’t think that snapper is working.
If it fails, let me know what the exact error is.
Manual backup worked. Thank you so much for your help!
I now have a stable system with snapshots again. Is there a better way then booting into a snapshot and answering yes to restore from the backup? Or was that a weird bug that I got and that isn’t the normal behavior?
What are you using to provide that prompt?
I think it might be btrfs-assistant, but I am not 100%. I think I followed this guide but kinda did what you had listed as a response. (I think I have the -git packages listed originally though).
It is not, btrfs assistant does not provide such a prompt.