Introduction
If you are looking for a simple and reliable way to backup and restore your Linux system, you may want to try Systemback. Systemback is a free and open source application that allows you to create backups of your system and user configuration files, restore your system to a previous state, copy your system to another partition or disk, create a bootable live system ISO from your existing installation, and more.
What is Systemback?
Systemback is a simple system backup and restore application with extra features, released under the terms of the GPLv3 license. It was originally developed by Kendek in 2014, and later forked by Alien-tec in 2021. It is written in C++ and Qt, and uses rsync as the backend for file copying.
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Features of Systemback
Systemback has many features that make it a useful tool for Linux users and administrators. Some of these features are:
Create backups of the system and user configuration files
Restore the system to a previous state using restore points
Repair the system in case of problems
Copy the system from one partition or disk to another
Upgrade the software on your system
Create a bootable live system ISO from your existing installation
Create a new installation from the live system
Support for Debian, Devuan, Ubuntu, Arch Linux and their derivatives
Support for NVMe drives and ISO file size >4GB
System requirements
To use Systemback, you need to have a Linux system that meets the following requirements:
A Debian, Devuan, Ubuntu, Arch Linux or compatible distribution
A 64-bit processor (x86_64)
A minimum of 512 MB of RAM
A minimum of 1 GB of free disk space
A graphical user interface (GUI)
Installing Systemback
There are different ways to install Systemback on your Linux system, depending on your distribution and preference. In this section, I will show you how to install Systemback from PPA (for Ubuntu-based distributions), from AUR (for Arch-based distributions), and from source code (for any distribution).
Installing from PPA (Ubuntu-based)
If you are using an Ubuntu-based distribution, such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Elementary OS, Zorin OS, etc., you can install Systemback from PPA (Personal Package Archive). A PPA is a repository that contains packages that are not available in the official repositories. To install Systemback from PPA, follow these steps:
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Open a terminal window and enter the following command to add the PPA to your system:sudo add-apt-repository ppa:systemback/2021
Enter your password when prompted and press Enter to confirm.
Update your package list with the following command:sudo apt update
Install Systemback with the following command:sudo apt install systemback
You may need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
Installing from AUR (Arch-based)If you are using an Arch-based distribution, such as Arch Linux, Manjaro, EndeavourOS, etc., you can install Systemback from AUR (Arch User Repository). AUR is a community-driven repository that contains packages that are not available in the official repositories. To install Systemback from AUR, follow these steps:
Open a terminal window and enter the following command to install an AUR helper, such as yay, paru, or trizen:sudo pacman -S yay
Enter your password when prompted and press Enter to confirm.
Install Systemback with the following command:yay -S systemback
You may need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
Installing from source code
If you are using a distribution that does not have Systemback in its repositories or PPA/AUR, you can install Systemback from source code. To install Systemback from source code, follow these steps:
Open a terminal window and enter the following command to install the dependencies for Systemback:sudo apt install build-essential qt5-default qttools5-dev-tools libqt5svg5-dev libqt5x11extras5-dev libblkid-dev libmount-dev liblz4-dev liblzma-dev liblzo2-dev libzstd-dev squashfs-tools rsyncNote: This command is for Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions. For other distributions, you may need to use a different package manager and package names.
Enter your password when prompted and press Enter to confirm.
Download the latest source code of Systemback from GitHub with the following command:git clone
Change your working directory to the systemback folder with the following command:cd systemback
Compile and install Systemback with the following command:sudo make install
You may need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
Creating a backup of your system
Once you have installed Systemback on your system, you can use it to create a backup of your system and user configuration files. A backup is a copy of your data that can be used to restore your system in case of problems. To create a backup of your system with Systemback, follow these steps:
Using the main interface
Launch Systemback from your application menu or by typing systemback in a terminal window. You will see the main interface of Systemback, which looks like this:
The main interface consists of four tabs: System backup, Restore points, Live system create, and System copy. In this section, we will focus on the first tab, System backup.
The System backup tab shows you the current state of your system and allows you to create a backup file. You can see the following information:
The name and version of your distribution
The size and free space of your root partition
The size and free space of your home partition (if separate)
The size and free space of your boot partition (if separate)
The size and free space of your EFI partition (if present)
The number of installed packages
The number of users and groups
The number of files and folders in /etc
The number of files and folders in /home (if separate)
Choosing the backup optionsBefore you create a backup file, you need to choose the backup options. You can see the backup options at the bottom of the System backup tab. They are:
Include user data files: This option allows you to include the files and folders in your home directory in the backup file. If you have a separate home partition, this option will be disabled.
Include boot loader files: This option allows you to include the files and folders in your boot directory and EFI partition (if present) in the backup file. This option is useful if you want to restore your boot loader settings.
Exclude hidden files and folders: This option allows you to exclude the files and folders that start with a dot (.) in your root and home directories from the backup file. These files and folders usually contain configuration settings that may not be compatible with different systems.
Exclude system cache: This option allows you to exclude the files and folders in /var/cache from the backup file. These files and folders usually contain temporary data that can be regenerated by the system.
You can check or uncheck these options according to your preference. You can also click on the Advanced button to see more options, such as excluding specific files and folders, using compression, encryption, or splitting for the backup file, etc.
Saving the backup file
After you have chosen the backup options, you can save the backup file to a location of your choice. You can see the Save as button at the bottom right corner of the System backup tab. Click on it to open a file dialog window, where you can select a folder and enter a name for the backup file. The backup file will have a .sblive extension by default.
Once you have selected a location and a name for the backup file, click on Save to start the backup process. You will see a progress bar and a status message at the bottom of the System backup tab, indicating the percentage and time of completion. Depending on the size of your system and the backup options, this process may take several minutes or hours.
When the backup process is finished, you will see a message saying "Backup completed successfully". You can then close Systemback or continue with other tasks.
Restoring your system to a previous state
If you have created a backup of your system with Systemback, you can use it to restore your system to a previous state. A restore is an operation that replaces your current system files with those from the backup file. To restore your system with Systemback, follow these steps:
Using the restore points
Launch Systemback from your application menu or by typing systemback in a terminal window. You will see the main interface of Systemback, which looks like this:
The main interface consists of four tabs: System backup, Restore points, Live system create, and System copy. In this section, we will focus on the second tab, Restore points.
The Restore points tab shows you the list of available restore points for your system. A restore point is a snapshot of your system state at a certain time. You can create restore points manually or automatically with Systemback. You can see the following information for each restore point:
The name and date of the restore point
The size of the restore point
The number of installed packages
The number of users and groups
The number of files and folders in /etc
The number of files and folders in /home (if separate)
You can also see an icon indicating whether the restore point is local or external. A local restore point is stored on your system partition, while an external restore point is stored on another partition or disk.
Choosing the restore optionsBefore you restore your system, you need to choose the restore options. You can see the restore options at the bottom of the Restore points tab. They are:
Include user data files: This option allows you to include the files and folders in your home directory in the restore operation. If you have a separate home partition, this option will be disabled.
Include boot loader files: This option allows you to include the files and folders in your boot directory and EFI partition (if present) in the restore operation. This option is useful if you want to restore your boot loader settings.
Exclude hidden files and folders: This option allows you to exclude the files and folders that start with a dot (.) in your root and home directories from the restore operation. These files and folders usually contain configuration settings that may not be compatible with different systems.
Exclude system cache: This option allows you to exclude the files and folders in /var/cache from the restore operation. These files and folders usually contain temporary data that can be regenerated by the system.
You can check or uncheck these options according to your preference. You can also click on the Advanced button to see more options, such as excluding specific files and folders, using compression, encryption, or splitting for the restore point, etc.
Confirming the restore operation
After you have chosen the restore options, you can confirm the restore operation. You can see the Restore button at the bottom right corner of the Restore points tab. Click on it to open a confirmation dialog window, where you can see a summary of the restore operation and a warning message.
The summary of the restore operation shows you the following information:
The name and date of the selected restore point
The size of the selected restore point
The size of the current system
The size of the data that will be deleted
The size of the data that will be restored
The size of the data that will remain unchanged
The warning message tells you that restoring your system will delete all changes made after the selected restore point, and that you should backup your important data before proceeding. It also tells you that you may need to reboot your system after the restore operation.
If you are sure that you want to restore your system, click on Yes to start the restore operation. You will see a progress bar and a status message at the bottom of the Restore points tab, indicating the percentage and time of completion. Depending on the size of your system and the restore options, this process may take several minutes or hours.
When the restore operation is finished, you will see a message saying "Restore completed successfully". You can then close Systemback or reboot your system if needed.
Creating a live system ISO from your existing installation
If you want to create a bootable live system ISO from your existing installation, you can use Systemback to do so. A live system ISO is an image file that contains a complete operating system that can be run from a CD/DVD or USB drive without installing it on your hard disk. To create a live system ISO with Systemback, follow these steps:
Using the live system create optionLaunch Systemback from your application menu or by typing systemback in a terminal window. You will see the main interface of Systemback, which looks like this:
The main interface consists of four tabs: System backup, Restore points, Live system create, and System copy. In this section, we will focus on the third tab, Live system create.
The Live system create tab allows you to create a bootable live system ISO from your existing installation. You can see the following information:
The name and version of your distribution
The size and free space of your root partition
The size and free space of your home partition (if separate)
The size and free space of your boot partition (if separate)
The size and free space of your EFI partition (if present)
The number of installed packages
The number of users and groups
The number of files and folders in /etc
The number of files and folders in /home (if separate)
Choosing the live system options
Before you create a live system ISO, you need to choose the live system options. You can see the live system options at the bottom of the Live system create tab. They are:
Include user data files: This option allows you to include the files and folders in your home directory in the live system ISO. If you have a separate home partition, this option will be disabled.
Include boot loader files: This option allows you to include the files and folders in your boot directory and EFI partition (if present) in the live system ISO. This option is useful if you want to boot the live system from different devices.
Exclude hidden files and folders: This option allows you to exclude the files and folders that start with a dot (.) in your root and home directories from the live system ISO. These files and folders usually contain configuration settings that may not be compatible with different systems.
Exclude system cache: This option allows you to exclude the files and folders in /var/cache from the live system ISO. These files and folders usually contain temporary data that can be regenerated by the system.
You can check or uncheck these options according to your preference. You can also click on the Advanced button to see more options, such as excluding specific files and folders, using compression, encryption, or splitting for the live system ISO, etc.
Saving the live system ISO file
After you have chosen the live system options, you can save the live system ISO file to a location of your choice. You can see the Save as button at the bottom right corner of the Live system create tab. Click on it to open a file dialog window, where you can select a folder and enter a name for the live system ISO file. The live system ISO file will have a .iso extension by default.
Once you have selected a location and a name for the live system ISO file, click on Save to start the creation process. You will see a progress bar and a status message at the bottom of the Live system create tab, indicating the percentage and time of completion. Depending on the size of your system and the live system options, this process may take several minutes or hours.
When the creation process is finished, you will see a message saying "Live system creation completed successfully". You can then close Systemback or continue with other tasks.
Conclusion
In this article, I have shown you how to use Systemback, a simple system backup and restore application with extra features. I have explained how to install Systemback on different Linux distributions, how to create a backup of your system, how to restore your system to a previous state, and how to create a live system ISO from your existing installation.
Systemback is a useful tool for Linux users and administrators who want to have a reliable way to backup and restore their systems, as well as to create bootable live systems from their installations. Systemback is easy to use, fast, and flexible. It supports various Linux distributions and file systems, and offers many options for customization.
If you want to learn more about Systemback, you can visit its GitHub page, where you can find more information, documentation, screenshots, bug reports, feature requests, etc. You can also download the latest version of Systemback from there.
FAQs
What is the difference between Systemback and Timeshift?
Systemback and Timeshift are Systemback and Timeshift are two popular applications for creating backups and restoring Linux systems. They have some similarities and differences, which are summarized in the table below:
Feature Systemback Timeshift --- --- --- Backup type File-based File-based or snapshot-based Backup location Local or external Local or external Backup frequency Manual or automatic Manual or automatic Backup options Include/exclude user data, boot loader, hidden files, system cache, etc. Include/exclude user data, boot loader, hidden files, system cache, etc. Restore type Full system restore Full system restore or partial restore Restore location Same or different partition/disk Same partition/disk Restore options Include/exclude user data, boot loader, hidden files, system cache, etc. Include/exclude user data, boot loader, hidden files, system cache, etc. Extra features Create live system ISO, copy system to another partition/disk, upgrade software, repair system, etc. Create snapshots using BTRFS or RSYNC, schedule snapshots, browse snapshots, etc. As you can see, Systemback and Timeshift have some common features, such as creating file-based backups, restoring the system to a previous state, and including/excluding various files and folders. However, they also have some unique features, such as creating live system ISOs and copying systems with Systemback, and creating snapshot-based backups and browsing snapshots with Timeshift.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you may choose one or the other application for your backup and restore tasks. You can also use both applications together for extra security and flexibility.
How can I create a new installation from the live system ISO?
If you have created a live system ISO with Systemback, you can use it to create a new installation on another computer or device. To do so, you need to burn the live system ISO to a CD/DVD or USB drive using a tool such as Brasero or Etcher. Then, you need to boot from the CD/DVD or USB drive on the target computer or device. You will see the live system interface of Systemback, which looks like this:
The live system interface consists of three buttons: Install Systemback Live System (SBLIVE), Start Live System (SBLIVE), and Reboot. To create a new installation from the live system ISO, follow these steps:
Click on the Install Systemback Live System (SBLIVE) button to launch the installation wizard.
Select your language and keyboard layout.
Select your time zone and date format.
Select your username and password.
Select your disk partitioning method (automatic or manual) and choose your target partition or disk.
Review your installation settings and click on Install to start the installation process.
Wait for the installation process to finish and click on Finish to reboot your computer or device.
How can I update Systemback to the latest version?
If you want to update Systemback to the latest version, you need to follow the same steps as installing Systemback on your Linux distribution. For example, if you have installed Systemback from PPA on an Ubuntu-based distribution, you need to run the following commands in a terminal window:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install systemback
If you have installed Systemback from AUR on an Arch-based distribution, you need to run the following command in a terminal window:
yay -S systemback
If you have installed Systemback from source code on any distribution, you need to download the latest source code from GitHub and compile and install it with the following commands in a terminal window:
git clone
cd systemback
sudo make install
You may need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
How can I uninstall Systemback from my Linux system?If you want to uninstall Systemback from your Linux system, you need to follow the same steps as installing Systemback on your Linux distribution, but with the opposite commands. For example, if you have installed Systemback from PPA on an Ubuntu-based distribution, you need to run the following commands in a terminal window:
sudo apt remove systemback
sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:systemback/2021
If you have installed Systemback from AUR on an Arch-based distribution, you need to run the following command in a terminal window:
yay -R systemback
If you have installed Systemback from source code on any distribution, you need to run the following command in a terminal window:
sudo make uninstall
You may need to reboot your system for the changes to take effect.
How can I get help or support for Systemback?
If you need help or support for Systemback, you can visit its GitHub page, where you can find more information, documentation, screenshots, bug reports, feature requests, etc. You can also contact the developer of Systemback, Alien-tec, by sending an email to or by opening an issue on GitHub. You can also join the Systemback community on Telegram or Discord, where you can chat with other users and share your feedback and suggestions.
The links to the GitHub page, the email address, and the Telegram and Discord groups are as follows:
GitHub:
Email:
Telegram:
Discord:
I hope you have enjoyed this article and learned how to use Systemback. Thank you for reading and happy backup and restore! 44f88ac181
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