libdnf5-plugin-snapper

Automatic filesystem snapshots for DNF5 package transactions using Snapper.

This plugin creates before/after snapshots of your system when installing, upgrading, or removing packages with DNF5, giving you an easy rollback option if something goes wrong.

Why Use This?

• Safety Net: Automatically snapshot your system before risky upgrades
• Easy Rollback: Undo problematic package changes with Snapper's rollback
• Smart Filtering: Only snapshot when important packages change (kernel, systemd, etc.)
• Fast & Native: Uses libsnapper API directly, works in rescue mode
• DNF5 Ready: Modern replacement for the old python3-dnf-plugin-snapper

Quick Start

Installation

From GitHub Releases:

# Download the latest RPM from GitHub releases
wget https://github.com/Plenvorik/libdnf5-plugin-snapper/releases/latest/download/libdnf5-plugin-snapper-*.rpm

# Install
sudo dnf install ./libdnf5-plugin-snapper-*.rpm

From Source:

git clone https://github.com/Plenvorik/libdnf5-plugin-snapper.git
cd libdnf5-plugin-snapper
mkdir build && cd build
cmake ..
make
sudo make install

Usage

Once installed, the plugin works automatically:

# Install a package - snapshots created automatically
sudo dnf install kernel

# Check your snapshots
sudo snapper list

# Rollback if needed
sudo snapper rollback <snapshot-number>

Configuration

Edit /etc/dnf/libdnf5-plugins/snapper.conf to customize:

[main]
enabled = true
snapper_config = root
cleanup_algorithm = number

[filters]
# Snapshot only for important packages (recommended)
include_packages = *
important_packages = kernel-*, systemd*, grub2-*, glibc*

How It Works

1. Pre-Transaction: Plugin checks if transaction affects filtered packages
2. Snapshot Created: If yes, creates a "pre" snapshot before changes
3. Transaction Runs: DNF installs/removes packages normally
4. Post-Snapshot: Creates paired "post" snapshot after success
5. Metadata Stored: Transaction details saved for later reference

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Here's how to get involved:

Report Issues

Found a bug? Open an issue with:

• Your Fedora version
• Steps to reproduce
• Expected vs actual behavior
• Output from dnf -v install <package>

Submit Pull Requests

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/awesome-improvement)
3. Make your changes (follow existing code style)
4. Run tests: ctest in build directory
5. Commit with clear message
6. Push and open a pull request

Development Setup

# Install dependencies
sudo dnf install cmake gcc-c++ libdnf5-devel snapper-devel boost-devel fmt-devel catch2-devel

# Build with tests
cmake -B build -DENABLE_TESTS=ON
cmake --build build

# Run tests
cd build && ctest --verbose

Requirements

• Fedora 41-43 or compatible distribution with DNF5
• Snapper >= 0.10 with configured snapshot configuration
• Btrfs filesystem (or other filesystem supported by Snapper)

Compatibility

This plugin replaces the older python3-dnf-plugin-snapper for DNF4. Configuration format is compatible but uses enhanced INI syntax.

License

LGPL-2.1-or-later - see COPYING for details.

Authors

• Andre Herrlich - Current maintainer - @Plenvorik
• Based on original dnf-plugin-snapper by Igor Gnatenko (2014)

Links

• GitHub Repository
• Issue Tracker
• Releases
• Snapper Documentation
• DNF5 Plugin API