Backups -

Troubleshooting Btrfs Snapshot Overfill with systemd Timers and Log Rotation

Posted on June 30, 2026 | 3 minutes | 623 words | Robert Nilsson

Introduction to Btrfs Snapshots

I’ve worked with Btrfs for years, and its snapshot feature is one of my favorites. It allows you to create a read-only copy of a subvolume at a particular point in time, which is super useful for backups, testing, and rolling back changes. However, managing these snapshots can become a real pain, especially when dealing with a large number of them. In this article, I’ll show you how to troubleshoot Btrfs snapshot overfill issues using systemd timers and log rotation.

Taming systemd Timer Services to Run Your Daily Backup at a Reasonable Hour

Posted on June 9, 2026 | 3 minutes | 568 words | Robert Nilsson

Introduction to systemd Timer Services

I’ve been using systemd timer services for years to schedule tasks on my Linux systems, and I have to say, they’re a game-changer. Most Linux distributions, including Debian, Arch Linux, and OpenSUSE, use systemd as their default init system, so it’s worth learning how to use them. In this article, I’ll show you how to use systemd timer services to run daily backups at a reasonable hour.

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Using rsync and systemd to Automate Offsite Backups of Selected Config Files and User Data

Posted on May 21, 2026 | 4 minutes | 697 words | Robert Nilsson

Introduction to Automated Offsite Backups

As a Linux user, you’ve probably learned the hard way how important it is to protect your configuration files and user data from loss or corruption. I’ve seen this go wrong when a disk fails or a configuration change goes awry. One way to ensure the integrity of this data is to set up automated offsite backups. In this article, we’ll explore how to use rsync and systemd to create a reliable and efficient backup system.

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linux backups rsync systemd