Technology preview: Using Snapper GUI to manage system snapshots in CentOS 7

Technology preview: Using Snapper GUI to manage system snapshots in CentOS 7

Snapper-gui is an interface-based management tool for snapper. It supports btrfs, ext4, and simplified LVM. Because it is still in the development stage, many functions are not complete yet. Here, it is only used as a technical preview for a brief introduction.

For an introduction to Snapper, refer to another blog: Using Snapper snapshots in CentOS 7 for system backup and recovery

Preparations

The following dependency packages must be installed in CentOS 7 in advance:

python3python3-dbuspython3-gobjectpython3-cairopython3-gobject-base

EPEL 7 provides python3 (Python 3.4) for installation.
Install epel-release

$ sudo yum install epel-release

Install python 3.4 and lib

$ sudo yum install python34

The above will not automatically install the matching pip and setuptools. Execute the following command to install:

$ curl -O https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py$ sudo /usr/bin/python3.4 get-pip.py

Install other dependency packages:

# yum install python3-dbus python3-gobject python3-cairo python3-gobject-base

Install snapper

Install snapper

# yum install snapper

Generate the configuration file btrfs_config

# snapper -c btrfs_config create-config -f btrfs /

Add the current user to btrfs_config

# vi /etc/snapper/configs/btrfs_configALLOW_USERS="yourloginname"

Install Snapper GUI

Download source code:

# git clone https://github.com/ricardo-vieira/snapper-gui/# cd snapper-gui/

Currently, Snapper GUI does not claim to support CentOS7. I found a bug about monospace font display that needs to be fixed before it can be used:

snappergui/glade/changesWindow.glade | 1 -1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)diff --git a/snappergui/glade/changesWindow.glade b/snappergui/glade/changesWindow.gladeindex 6c05b4d..6a29baa 100644--- a/snappergui/glade/changesWindow.glade+++ b/snappergui/glade/changesWindow.glade@@ -126,7 +126,6 @@                             <property name="editable">False</property>                             <property name="left_margin">2</property>                             <property name="right_margin">2</property>-                            <property name="monospace">True</property>                             <property name="tab_width">4</property>                             <property name="auto_indent">True</property>                             <property name="indent_on_tab">False</property>

Next, install the Snapper GUI:

# python3 setup.py install

Start Snapper GUI

# snapper-gui

Effect:

The following shows how to create a Snapshot and click New> Creat Snapshot.

Create a timeline snapshot named test. You can specify the clearing rule and user data (Name and Value ):

Generated snapshot:

Use the command line to view the corresponding information:

[root@localhost ~]# snapper -c btrfs_config listType   | #  | Pre # | Date                            | User | Cleanup  | Description | Userdata-------+----+-------+---------------------------------+------+----------+-------------+---------single | 0  |       |                                 | root |          | current     |         pre    | 1  |       | Wed 15 Jun 2016 04:33:54 AM EDT | root |          |             |         post   | 2  | 1     | Wed 15 Jun 2016 04:34:02 AM EDT | root |          |             |         single | 3  |       | Wed 15 Jun 2016 05:36:04 AM EDT | root |          | test        |         

View File modifications between snapshots:

Delete a snapshot:

Because Snapper GUI is still under development, through the trial of Snapper GUI, it is found that its functions are not perfect and cannot be called a mature product yet:
1. System Snapshot rollback is not implemented, and the system is restored to a specified snapshot status;
2. the rollback of a single file snapshot is not implemented, and the status of a single file is restored to a specified snapshot;
3. the config file is not managed (create, view, modify, add, or delete ).