I created a template in vm‑pool, then I created an AppVM in varlibqubes. lsblk shows qubes_dom0‑vm--testVM--root--snap – is this a snapshot of the template or a snapshot of the root from the AppVM? For example, I make permanent changes in the root (read‑write), so the template’s root and the AppVM’s root differ. Are snaps saved for the root volume of an AppVM or only for templates? Can I restore my AppVM’s root settings from this snap, or does only private‑snap apply to the AppVM? Please help me understand
It’s snap from template and when used with appvm then is discarded.
Only private.snap is saved for appvm.
1 Like
Can I disable automatic snapshot creation?
qvm-volume config vmname:root revisions_to_keep 0
yes?
Yes. But it will suppres only backup snspshot creation.
Whole QubeOS works on snapshots.
When any vm starts it run on demand created snapshot both root and private.
Whatewer root and private is updated with snapshot depends on qube type.
Dunno about standalone if it works on snapshots or not.
1 Like
Thank you. Then I have another question – which automatic snapshots can I disable without compromising the launch of VMs?
You can only disable backup snapshots - as you posted earlier.
You can’t disable snapshot created during vm start on which vm runs - it’s not configurable.
There’s some caviats if you disable some of those backup snapshots, like troubles with whole system bacups (you won’t be able do system backup of running vm without backup snapshot).
1 Like
Thank you for your answers. To sum up: only private snaps preserve the state of an appVM. Templates store both private and root snaps, but those private snaps belong solely to the template and do not affect the appVMs built from that template? All other snaps are create for Qubes, and I can’t use it to restore an old state of appVMs or to recover a session?
If you have/set revisions_to_keep greater than zero then you could go back to those backup snaps and restore it to curren volumes.