--- title: 'Stop and disable TimeShift to save disk space' url: 'https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske' markdown: 'https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske.md' lang: en date: '2026-03-17' description: 'Today I noticed that the hard drive LED is constantly on. Introd' taxonomy: category: - blog tag: - Linux archives_month: - mar_2026 archives_year: - '2026' --- # Stop and disable TimeShift to save disk space 17 March 2026 ![Stop and disable TimeShift to save disk space](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/4/4/7/5/e/4475e6877c61b07604cc6c8b936d8f6356423a28-timeshift-ru.png)15:19 ### Stop and disable TimeShift to save disk space [Linux](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:Linux) 17 March 2026 15:19 Today I noticed that the hard drive LED is constantly on. ### Introduction [TimeShift](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeshift_(%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BC%D0%B0)) is a program for automatically saving the state of the operating system on disk according to a schedule. The state of the OS can be restored by the user at will to the date of the so-called “snapshot”. Which must first be created - manually or automatically according to a schedule. With the Linux EXT4 file system, the method of creating a snapshot of the state is rsync (copying), and with BTRFS, the more time- and disk-space-efficient BTRFS method. My filesystem is EXT4, so the only way to copy is "rsync". Creating a backup copy of the EXT4 file system reduces the amount of free space and causes high load on the hard drive. ### 1. Finding out the reason for the high load on the hard drive To find out a program that intensively uses the hard drive, I ran the utility **`iotop`** which I installed earlier ``` sudo apt update sudo apt install iotop ``` You need to launch iotop as a superuser using the command `sudo iotop` or in a superuser session after the command `su -`: ``` su - iotop ``` The iotop command showed me many, specifically 2 processes simultaneously copying data, with the names `timeshift` and various call parameters. [ ![rsync-working](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/b/0/3/8/8/b0388f774b629a32af64287644b37869cb60ba77-rsync-working.png "rsync-working")](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/b/0/3/8/8/b0388f774b629a32af64287644b37869cb60ba77-rsync-working.png) ### 2. Stopping running Timeshift processes Stopping the process from the graphical utility Start - Administration - Timeshift will not work if the snapshot creation process has already begun. Therefore it is necessary to remove, i.e. Force termination of running timeshift processes: ``` killall timeshift ``` ### 3. Disable Timeshift schedule In the graphics utility **Start - Administration - Timeshift** [ ![menu-ru](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/d/6/f/3/8/d6f383313cba1f44e9d3f161b71a0227530c4f55-menu-ru.png "menu-ru")](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/d/6/f/3/8/d6f383313cba1f44e9d3f161b71a0227530c4f55-menu-ru.png) you need to go to the settings and *uncheck* all the options for creating a daily, weekly, monthly, etc. snapshot. [ ![main-ru](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/e/0/0/6/3/e00635b31000b9b609713ac9502627f6fbd96e16-main-ru.png "main-ru")](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/e/0/0/6/3/e00635b31000b9b609713ac9502627f6fbd96e16-main-ru.png) If no schedule is specified, Timeshift assumes the "disabled" state. ### 4. Cleaning the Timeshift folder If snapshots were created in the TimeShift program, they can be deleted in the Start menu -> Administration -> Timeshift utility. But this will not help *clean up the disk from an incompletely created snapshot*, the creation of which was interrupted. First, let's find out which drive the pictures are saved to. This can be seen in the Timeshift utility in the Settings menu - tab **"Place"**. Or with the command: ``` timeshift --list-devices ``` If the first lines indicate `Mounted '/dev/sdb5' at '/run/timeshift/76012/backup'`- this means *saving pictures* is configured for the device **/dev/sdb5**. Compare with command output `lsblk`- device name for the root folder. ``` lsblk | grep /$ ``` For example, if └─sdc1 8:33 0 111.8G 0 part / This means that the root folder "/" of this operating system is located on the device "/dev/sdc1". \***If the location *saving snapshots* Timeshift is located in the same place as the root folder "/"**(for example, disk /dev/sda5), execute the command from the root superuser context: ``` rm -r /timeshift ``` \***If the location *saving pictures* Timeshift and the root folder "/" are *different* devices**(for example, the Timeshift device is /dev/sdb5, and the “root” of the file system is on the disk /dev/sda5), execute the commands from the root context: ``` mount /dev/sdb5 /mnt rm -r /mnt/timeshift umount /dev/sdb5 exit ``` Where /dev/sdb5 is the name of the device on which TimeShift snapshots are saved. ### 5. How to find out the size of a folder in Linux You can find out the total size of a folder with subfolders and files with the command: ``` du -sh folder ``` where folder is the name of the directory, for example /mnt/timeshift or /timeshift . Since I interrupted the process, I will not be able to find out the maximum size of the timeshift folder. Its size depends on the settings on the “Users” and “Filters” tabs (inclusions and exclusions) and on a recently installed operating system it is about 30 GB. In any case, snapshot creation can be done not according to a schedule, but *manually* in the "Start" menu -> "Administration" -> Timeshift or from the command line of a Terminal window. --- *Addition from 03/18/2026 - manual creation and deletion of snapshots of the Linux operating system using timeshift from the command line.* ### 6. Manually creating a snapshot and restoring the OS state by calling timeshift from the command line The following commands must be run as superuser (`su -`), or using `sudo` or from the initial boot menu in recovery mode ("root"). To take a photo manually: ``` timeshift --create ``` First, the program will determine the size of the operating system files ("Estimating system size...") - it takes 2-5 minutes. Then it will immediately begin creating a snapshot in a folder like /run/timeshift/33228/backup. To create a snapshot on another storage device, you need to use an additional key `--target-device` indicating the device name. For example: ``` timeshift --create --target-device /dev/sdc5 ``` To restore from a snapshot manually: ``` timeshift --restore ``` The program will promptly request a backup storage device "backup device" in dialog mode and offer a list of snapshots for restoring the OS state, if they exist on the specified device. To view available images, use the command ``` timeshift --list ``` These commands can also be executed from a terminal window when starting recovery mode in the Grub2 boot menu - *"Advanced options for ... Linux" -> "recovery mode" -> "root (Drop to root shell prompt)".* ### 7. Manually delete a picture or all pictures To delete a photo: ``` timeshift --delete ``` To delete all pictures: ``` timeshift --delete-all ``` --- **Links:** - (GitHUB website may not open on different providers). - - how to use TimeShift in Russian (the website opens in the Russian Federation). ### Related publications [ ![](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/f/3/a/2/c/f3a2c07ef5b32c0308ab703405a5a5ca87b75283-archer-ac600-728.webp) Установка драйвера ядра для Wi-Fi адаптера TP-Link после обновления ОС Debian ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ustanovka-draivera-yadra-dlya-wi-fi-adaptera-tp-link-posle-obnovleniya-os-debian) [ ![](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/d/2/5/c/7/d25c7282750b398f71041fb8b90640b692e7e4b8-decibelfmtitle.png) Linux Cinnamon Desktop Applets for Listening to Internet Radio Stations ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/applety-dlya-rabochego-stola-linux-cinnamon-dlya-proslushivaniya-internet-radiostancii) [ ![No picture](https://ra1ahq.blog/user/themes/mytheme/images/no-image.png) Passing a parameter to a Linux module/driver ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/peredacha-parametra-modulyu-draiveru-linux) [ ![](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/5/c/4/e/a/5c4ea9c8c3f0b4dd890116d8fe7cbadfdb9814ba-archer-ac600.webp) Installing the TP-Link Archer T600U Nano Wi-Fi adapter driver in Debian 13 "Trixie" ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ustanovka-draivera-wi-fi-adaptera-tp-link-archer-t600u-nano-v-debian-13-trixie) [ ![](https://ra1ahq.blog/images/b/f/f/0/f/bff0f99f5897e0420fac9a6eef7254247f39c29d-pulseaudio-equalizer.png) Installing the audio equalizer pulseaudio-equalizer-ladspa on Linux ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ustanovka-v-linux-ekvalaizera-zvuka-pulseaudio-equalizer-ladspa) [ Backward](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/chastoty-lyubitelskoi-sluzhby-dlya-region-r1-evropy-i-rossii "Previuous page") [ Forward ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ssylka-na-muromdx-raspisanie-veshaniya-na-russkom-yazyke-kv-sv-leto-2026 "Next page") ## Languages - [Русский](https://ra1ahq.blog/posts/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske) - [English](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske) - [Deutsch](https://ra1ahq.blog/de/posts/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske) - [Français](https://ra1ahq.blog/fr/posts/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske) - [中文 (简体) (cn)](https://ra1ahq.blog/zh-cn/posts/ostanovka-i-otklyuchenie-timeshift-dlya-ekonomii-mesta-na-diske) ## Theme ## RSS feeds [ Atom 1.0](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/.atom) [ RSS](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/.rss) ## Popular tags [APRS](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:APRS) [CW](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:CW) [DX](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:DX) [FM](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:FM) [Linux](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:Linux) [VHF](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:VHF) [antennas](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:antennas) [firefox](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:firefox) [morse](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:morse) [soundtrack](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:soundtrack) [video](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:video) [windows](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:windows) [youtube](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:youtube) [КВ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%9A%D0%92) [ТВ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%A2%D0%92) [УКВ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%A3%D0%9A%D0%92) [антенны](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B) [безопасность](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%B1%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C) [длинные волны](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%B4%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5%20%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D1%8B) [путешествия](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%8F) [религия](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F) [соревнования](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%8F) [спутники](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%81%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8) [средние волны](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%81%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5%20%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BD%D1%8B) [схемы](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%81%D1%85%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%8B) [тесты](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8B) [трансивер](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80) [управление](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%83%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5) [фотографии](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/tag:%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%B8) ## Random post [ I'll be lucky!](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/random) ## Archive of posts - [ October 2026 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2026) - [ September 2026 ✒ 9 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2026) - [ August 2026 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2026) - [ July 2026 ✒ 13 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2026) - [ June 2026 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2026) - [ May 2026 ✒ 2 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2026) - [ April 2026 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2026) - [ March 2026 ✒ 3 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2026) - [ February 2026 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:feb_2026) - [ January 2026 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jan_2026) - [ December 2025 ✒ 12 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2025) - [ November 2025 ✒ 9 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:nov_2025) - [ October 2025 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2025) - [ September 2025 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2025) - [ August 2025 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2025) - [ July 2025 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2025) - [ June 2025 ✒ 10 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2025) - [ May 2025 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2025) - [ April 2025 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2025) - [ March 2025 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2025) - [ February 2025 ✒ 11 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:feb_2025) - [ December 2024 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2024) - [ November 2024 ✒ 2 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:nov_2024) - [ October 2024 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2024) - [ September 2024 ✒ 3 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2024) - [ August 2024 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2024) - [ July 2024 ✒ 9 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2024) - [ June 2024 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2024) - [ May 2024 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2024) - [ April 2024 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2024) - [ March 2024 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2024) - [ February 2024 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:feb_2024) - [ January 2024 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jan_2024) - [ December 2023 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2023) - [ November 2023 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:nov_2023) - [ October 2023 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2023) - [ September 2023 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2023) - [ August 2023 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2023) - [ July 2023 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2023) - [ June 2023 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2023) - [ May 2023 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2023) - [ April 2023 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2023) - [ March 2023 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2023) - [ February 2023 ✒ 2 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:feb_2023) - [ January 2023 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jan_2023) - [ December 2022 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2022) - [ November 2022 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:nov_2022) - [ October 2022 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2022) - [ September 2022 ✒ 9 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2022) - [ August 2022 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2022) - [ July 2022 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2022) - [ June 2022 ✒ 9 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2022) - [ May 2022 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2022) - [ April 2022 ✒ 3 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2022) - [ March 2022 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2022) - [ February 2022 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:feb_2022) - [ January 2022 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jan_2022) - [ December 2021 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2021) - [ November 2021 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:nov_2021) - [ October 2021 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2021) - [ September 2021 ✒ 10 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2021) - [ August 2021 ✒ 6 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2021) - [ July 2021 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2021) - [ June 2021 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2021) - [ May 2021 ✒ 7 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2021) - [ April 2021 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2021) - [ March 2021 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2021) - [ February 2021 ✒ 3 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:feb_2021) - [ January 2021 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jan_2021) - [ December 2020 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2020) - [ November 2020 ✒ 2 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:nov_2020) - [ October 2020 ✒ 3 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:oct_2020) - [ September 2020 ✒ 3 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:sep_2020) - [ August 2020 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:aug_2020) - [ July 2020 ✒ 5 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jul_2020) - [ June 2020 ✒ 8 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jun_2020) - [ May 2020 ✒ 10 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:may_2020) - [ April 2020 ✒ 4 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:apr_2020) - [ March 2020 ✒ 2 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:mar_2020) - [ January 2020 ✒ 1 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:jan_2020) - [ December 2019 ✒ 2 ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/archives_month:dec_2019) ## Search ## Weather forecast [На 14 дней](https://world-weather.ru/pogoda/russia/saint_petersburg/14days/) [world-weather.ru](https://world-weather.ru/) --- ## Navigation - Parent: [RA1AHQ](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/index.md) - Previous: [(Link to MuromDX): Russian-language HF/MW broadcasting plan - Summer 2026](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/ssylka-na-muromdx-raspisanie-veshaniya-na-russkom-yazyke-kv-sv-leto-2026.md) - Next: [Amateur service frequencies for Region R1, Europe and Russia](https://ra1ahq.blog/en/chastoty-lyubitelskoi-sluzhby-dlya-region-r1-evropy-i-rossii.md)