Install Instructions Btrfs puts snapshots and subvolumes into the root directory of the FS. This directory can only be changed by btrfsctl right now, and normal filesystem operations do not work on it. The default subvolume is called 'default', and you can create files and directories in mount_point/default 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. 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