Install Instructions Btrfs uses libcrc32c in the kernel for file and metadata checksums. You need to compile the kernel with: CONFIG_LIBCRC32C=m libcrc32c can be static as well. Once your kernel is setup, typing make in the btrfs module sources will build against the running kernel. When the build is complete: modprobe libcrc32c insmod btrfs.ko The Btrfs utility programs require libuuid to build. This can be found in the e2fsprogs sources, and is usually available as libuuid or e2fsprogs-devel from various distros. The Btrfs utility programs also require libblkid (block device identification library). This library is usually available as libblkid-dev or libblkid-devel. Building the utilities is just make ; make install. The programs go into /usr/local/bin. The mains commands available are: mkfs.btrfs: create a filesystem btrfs: control program to create snapshots and subvolumes: # mount a btrfs filesystem mount /dev/sda2 /mnt # create a subvolume btrfs subvolume create /mnt/new_subvol_name # snapshot of a subvolume btrfs subvolume snapshot /mnt/default /mnt/snapshot_of_default btrfs subvolume snapshot /mnt/snapshot_of_default \ /mnt/snapshot_of_a_snapshot # list of the subvolumes ls /mnt default snapshot_of_a_snapshot snapshot_of_new_subvol new_subvol_name snapshot_of_default # removal of a subvolume or a snapshot btrfs subvolume delete /mn/snapshot_of_a_snapshot # look a the btrfs man page for further information man btrfs btrfsck: do a limited check of the FS extent trees. btrfs-debug-tree: print all of the FS metadata in text form. Example: btrfs-debug-tree /dev/sda2 >& big_output_file