How to rescue a “broken” Linux PC from the command line
How to rescue a “broken” Linux PC from the command line
https://www.howtogeek.com/how-to-use-timeshift-to-create-reliable-linux-snapshots-and-rollbacks/
Publish Date: 2026-02-09 10:00:00
Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com
Summary
- Make regular backups — saved me after a broken update; do it before you need it.
- Use Timeshift for OS snapshots — schedule automated hourly/daily backups and quick restores (TTY usable).
- Back up personal files separately with rsync or Pika; use MX Snapshot .iso as a secondary full-image option.
I had never been big on maintaining backups until an update recently broke my CachyOS setup. The computer was bricked, and I had no way to recover the OS or my data. Since then, I’ve made it a strict rule for myself to maintain regular backups of my Linux systems. Here’s how you can do it too.
How Linux backups work
There are any number of ways you can back up your Linux machine. You could simply copy your local files to an external drive and back them up using something like rsync. This tool lets you copy only the file changes, saving a lot of time when transferring files.
Credit: Kris Wouk / How-To Geek
You could also use a tool like MX Snapshot to convert your current operating system (including files, if you so choose) into a bootable .iso image. If your…
