MX Linux Forum

We've made a 'resetting accounts' snapshot iso in MX-23.6_x64. After installing the snapshot all custom made settings like in the browsers FF and Brave plus all panel launchers, splash, background, tweaks etcetera were gone.
There is an option 'edit exclusion file' but we have no clue what to select to keep all our settings in the snapshot.
How can one do so?

RTFM

@anticapitalista This response is not acceptable.

richb wrote: Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:23 pm @anticapitalista This response is not acceptable.

Maybe, let me ask the question in a a different way: which part of the manual is not clearly describing the working of the app?
I mean, we can always improve the manual...

Adrian wrote: Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:29 pm

richb wrote: Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:23 pm @anticapitalista This response is not acceptable.

Maybe, let me ask the question in a a different way: which part of the manual is not clearly describing the working of the app?
I mean, we can always improve the manual...

Yes that is a more appropriate response.

Select what you do NOT want in the snapshot.

I simply select 'all of the above', that includes nothing then, and then remove the checkmark on what I do want in the snapshot. In my case it is Desktop and Documents.

Considering I do not know what the file contains, I don't mess with that; too much risk of PEBCAK.

richb wrote: Fri Jun 20, 2025 6:23 pm @anticapitalista This response is not acceptable.

I say let him cook.

My interpretation of the "reset accounts" option in MX Snapshot is that any account changes are, of course, going to be kept out of the snapshot. If I had any special settings I cared about, I'd think I'd want to choose the "preserve accounts" option. It's been a long time since I've done this, but choosing "reset accounts" and then expecting to have any customizations to a user account to persist seems counterintuitive.

We do not present ourselves like that here, no matter your status. Discussion on the matter can be in PM with the team if someone wishes so.

Let's keep responses to the question asked.

Eadwine Rose wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 12:04 am Let's keep responses to the question asked.

I thought I did; wouldn't be the first time someone said what we all were thinking.

As per the Help file ( manual )

MX Snapshot takes care of two main situations:

A “#8220;personal snapshot” and saves pretty much everything, used if you want to backup your current system including home. Excluded are only some cache and log folders that are listed in the exception file (that file can be examined from the program by clicking on the appropriate button). The program also tries to “generalize” the ISO, in a sense that it removes files that are machine specific like /etc/fstab (you might use the ISO on a machine that has different harddrive partitions), also Xorg config file is not saved (for example if you have Nvidia or ATI/AMD driver installed the snapshot won’t preserve that setting because you might use the ISO on a different machine that doesn’t have an Nvidia or ATI card). If you intend to use it as a backup on the same machine then comment out the appropriate xorg.conf line in the exclusion file. The user also has a number of checkboxes to help exclude some big folders, like Downloads, Desktop, Documents, Movies, Photos, etc.

A “system snapshot” with all the apps you installed and without all the apps you removed, but without stuff from /home. That’s what we call “reset accounts” snapshot because in addition to generalizing the ISO it also resets root password to “root” and creates a demo username with a “demo” password. /home/demo is generated at boot time and populated with files from /etc/skel. This option is meant to create a kind of respin ISO that can be used, for instance, to distribute to other people or to use as a base for a custom lab install.

In my opinion, the way the "system snapshot" is written is not very intuitive that it will wipe all settings. It *does* say "without stuff from home" ... however, if the user really doesnt understand that 'home' is where the config / settings are located... then this paragraph does not specifically spell that out.

I would suggest something more like the following which would spell that out.

MX Snapshot Overview
MX Snapshot handles two main backup scenarios:

Personal Snapshot
Creates a comprehensive backup of your current system, including your home directory and personal files. This option is ideal when you want to backup your entire system configuration.

What's included:

• All installed applications and system settings

• Your personal files and home directory

• Custom configurations and preferences

What's excluded:

• Cache and log folders (listed in the exception file, which you can review by clicking the appropriate button in the program)

• Machine-specific files like /etc/fstab (removed so the ISO can work on machines with different hard drive partitions)

• Graphics driver configurations (Xorg config files are excluded since the ISO might be used on machines with different graphics

cards)

Note: If you plan to restore this backup on the same machine, you can preserve your graphics settings by commenting out the appropriate xorg.conf line in the exclusion file.

Customization options: Use the provided check-boxes to exclude large folders such as Downloads, Desktop, Documents, Movies, and Photos if desired.

System Snapshot (Reset Accounts)
Creates a clean system image with your installed applications but without personal data from /home. This creates a "fresh install" experience with your software choices preserved, with no personal data or settings.
Key features:

• Includes all applications you've installed

• Excludes applications you've removed

• Resets application default settings

• Removes all personal data from /home

• Resets root password to "root"

• Creates a demo user account with password "demo"

• Generates /home/demo at boot time using files from /etc/skel

Use cases:

• Creating a custom distribution to share with others

• Setting up a base system for lab installations

• Creating a clean system template for repeated deployments

I apologize for the formatting.. I have this in a better format if you prefer / want it.

Perhaps the text "for distribution to others" in the GUI could be improved by adding something like "this will not preserve any custom settings" or maybe "any changes you've made will be reset back to default" or similar wording?
Similar with the the tooltip maybe?
Then it would be quite clear and shouldn't result in confusion.



No matter how thorough a help manual is there'll always be people who don't read them.

JmaCWQ wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:22 am Perhaps the text "for distribution to others" in the GUI could be improved by adding something like "this will not preserve any custom settings" ...

Then it would be quite clear and shouldn't result in confusion.

thnx JmaCWQ for your kind respons!
Indeed we were too much focused on 'distributing' so choose that option.
Then made another snap based on the 1st option 'for personal bu' and added some folders in the exclusion file list.
This works fine accept the wifi settings didn't come through plus the selected background only pops up and is replaced by the b&w one.
Should this be the case?

Pretty Vacant wrote: Fri Jun 20, 2025 5:32 pm We've made a 'resetting accounts' snapshot iso in MX-23.6_x64. After installing the snapshot all custom made settings like in the browsers FF and Brave plus all panel launchers, splash, background, tweaks etcetera were gone.
There is an option 'edit exclusion file' but we have no clue what to select to keep all our settings in the snapshot.
How can one do so?

It depends on what it is for, and how public it is going to go, but I guess I would aim for a personal snapshot without any personal information.
That could sound like the same contradiction the other way around but I would make it work by making a complete new install with just what is needed for target users, and keeping in mind all the way during the configuration not to use name, mail or anything else personal.
And when everything looks good, then make the personal snapshot of the installation that has no personal content.

Pretty Vacant wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:58 am thnx JmaCWQ for your kind respons!
Indeed we were too much focused on 'distributing' so choose that option.
Then made another snap based on the 1st option 'for personal bu' and added some folders in the exclusion file list.
This works fine accept the wifi settings didn't come through plus the selected background only pops up and is replaced by the b&w one.
Should this be the case?

Possibly it will depend on what folders you added to the exclusion file as to why you get a different background, and possibly also why your wifi settings didn't carry over to the snapshot.
If there's another reason for why that's happened I don't know what it might be.

My basic understanding of it is this:
If "Preserving Accounts (for personal backup)" is used, and you leave all options unchecked where you have the option to select different directories to exclude, and you also don't edit the exclusion file itself, then the snapshot should be as your current system is, and should work ok on your current machine.
This snapshot may or may not work on different computers with different hardware etc..

If "Resetting accounts (for distribution to others)" is used and you don't uncheck any options where you have the option to choose any directories (which are all auto checked when selecting this option) and the exclusion file is not edited manually, the resulting snapshot will be basically the same as downloading an MX ISO and booting from it, everything is at default settings.
This snapshot should work on different computers.

I can't remember for sure, but I think with the "resetting accounts" type of snapshot, any extra software installed that didn't come with the original install ISO appears to be added to this type of snapshot, but as with anything else for this type of snapshot the settings etc. for the extra software are also at default.

And then there's the different combinations of both those snapshot types that can be achieved by checking and unchecking different directories etc., or editing manually the exclusion file, or a combination of both.

In short:
"Preserving Accounts (for personal backup)" will work on same hardware machines and possible some others, just try.
All custom settings are kept!

"Resetting accounts (for distribution to others)" will probably work on all hardware but all settings of all apps will be reset to default.

JmaCWQ wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:54 am This snapshot may or may not work on different computers with different hardware etc..

Pretty Vacant wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 8:44 am In short:
"Preserving Accounts (for personal backup)" will work on same hardware machines and possible some others, just try.

An important design principle in MX Snapshot, and one of the central principles that makes it so beautiful, is that also the personal snapshot works on dissimilar hardware. So the case is not that a personal snapshot is somehow more tied to a specific system on the hardware level, unless you are already using some special stuff that would logically be tied to specific hardware in any case (e.g. running some software that is targeted and tailored for a certain device, like in my case RME HDSPe mixer software - it's a given that this part of the software environment will not work if you don't have a HDSPe device on the system you boot it on, and so on). But in general, also the personal snapshot will live boot and install, and isn't tied to a specific machine, as long as the CPU architecture is correct. By default, it will not have a machine-specific fstab for instance, or configurations for a specific display adapter. So if you wish to make it more machine specific, then you can edit the exclusion file to keep the specific configuration files you wish.

A personal shapshot is actually very versatile for installing a tailored MX system onto delightfully different systems; personally, I've installed from the same snapshot on different generations of desktop computers and laptops, for example. They all just work. Your mileage may vary, of course, as there can be compatibility issues even on the kernel level, not related to MX Snapshot or MX itself, and so on. But this live/snapshot system is really... extremely versatile, and the best of its kind, imo.

Hey @CharlesV do you have access to Wiki to update the documentation?
https://mxlinux.org/wiki/help-files/hel ... -snapshot/

Isn't wiki stuff @Jerry3904's terrain?

Eadwine Rose wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:57 pm Isn't wiki stuff @Jerry3904's terrain?

Hopefully not only his...

I don't know about "terrain" but I do much of the work on it. @adr1an If you would like me to handle that let me know.

Wrong Adrian tag Jerry.

Jerry3904 wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 4:12 pm I don't know about "terrain" but I do much of the work on it. @adr1an If you would like me to handle that let me know.

I was thinking that you might want help from CharlesV, anybody who wants to improve the documentation should be able to do it since my interest is a bit low in that field...

Adrian wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 3:53 pm Hey @CharlesV do you have access to Wiki to update the documentation?
https://mxlinux.org/wiki/help-files/hel ... -snapshot/

I do not, however I can post an odt or pdf if anyone wants it.

I'm late to this thread so not completely sure ATM what we are talking about doing. Will read earlier posts later, busy ATM.

Pretty Vacant wrote: Sat Jun 21, 2025 8:44 am In short:
"Preserving Accounts (for personal backup)" will work on same hardware machines and possible some others, just try.
All custom settings are kept!

I don't want to agree but I have some more thoughts I want to share about it.
I believe like Nokkaelaein the intention with a personal snapshot is that you can run it Live and install it on any computer.
So how do I deal with the fact that I have created a personal snapshot from my test computer and it booted up Live perfectly but when I use it Live on two other computers the desktop icons are gone, and the chosen wallpaper is gone, and right click on desktop does not work anymore.
I still don't want to agree but it can be too hard to deny. lol
There might be other reasons but it is a convincing example.
And I have to realize it can be difficult for the developers to balance between easy Live boot up that brings up all the wanted config and the risks they have to take about hardware not being compatible.
However it is not only about the developers. And that is where there is another interesting balance. It hits me in the face every time I make a snapshot from a laptop with external screen on and internal off, and I afterwards want to use it on a laptop.
Is it a snapshot bug when the laptop screen is all dark or just me being stupid.? ... please don't answer.! :-)

And that can start some new thoughts about how much more I can do to make the personal Live snapshot as compatible as possible for any hardware.
Maybe a MX-Cleanup run with special strong settings can be important before creating the snapshot etc....
And to take it further I have made some startup scripts only for Live to modify the most typical problems.
Some of it works well, and I am not giving up yet but it seems to me that it can be pretty endless, so for a full public respin I might end up where you were when you started this subject. lol

Perhaps you also have some follow-up observations to share regarding the choices you have made, and what has come out of it so far.? :-)