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btrfs restore
What btrfs restore is
btrfs restore is a free Linux command-line tool in the btrfs-progs toolkit for salvaging files from a damaged Btrfs filesystem device. It writes recovered content to a destination path or lists subvolume tree roots, while leaving the source filesystem image unchanged. Recovery quality depends on readable metadata, so output can be incomplete or may contain older file versions. A dry-run mode lists prospective files without restoring them. You can select a subvolume, include snapshots that are normally skipped, and filter filenames with a regular expression. The documented path matching also recreates directories along the full path, so it is not designed to isolate one deeply nested file. Options can preserve extended attributes, ownership, modes, timestamps, and symbolic links. The ignore-errors option continues after failures, while overwrite replaces destination files or directories. Static binaries are provided for x86_64 releases, and the userspace tools are GPLv2 licensed.
Who it suits
It suits Linux users attempting recovery from damaged Btrfs devices who want the source image left unchanged. It is also useful for administrators needing subvolume selection, metadata preservation, or dry-run listings.
What it does well
- Free Linux recovery utility
- Leaves filesystem image unmodified
- Dry-run lists files first
- Can preserve metadata and links
- Supports subvolume and snapshot selection
What to know first
- Recovery depends on readable metadata
- Recovered data may be incomplete
- Deep single-file filtering is limited
- No file preview
Verdict
btrfs restore provides focused, non-modifying recovery for Btrfs filesystems on Linux. Its results depend on available metadata, and path filtering is less precise for deeply nested individual files.
Facts from btrfs restore's own pages
- Development
- The btrfs-progs source repositories accept GitHub pull requests and mailing-list patches. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- The project provides static btrfs and btrfs.box binaries for each release, built for x86_64 architecture. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Dry run
- The dry-run option lists files that would be recovered without restoring them. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Error handling
- The ignore-errors option continues restoration after errors, and the overwrite option replaces files or directories in the destination path. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Filtering
- A path regular expression can limit restoration to matching filenames, but the documented format restores files in directories along the whole path and is not useful for restoring a single file deep in a hierarchy. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 19 Sept 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation describes Btrfs as a Linux filesystem focused on fault tolerance, repair, and easy administration. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- The btrfs-progs repository identifies the userspace tools as licensed under GPLv2. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
- Metadata options
- Options can restore extended attributes, ownership, modes, timestamps, and symbolic links. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Non-modifying recovery
- The filesystem image is not modified during restore. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Operating systems
- Linux · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 19 Sept 2026
- Part of btrfs-progs
- The documentation identifies btrfs restore as part of btrfs-progs. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- File preview
- No · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 19 Sept 2026
- Purpose
- btrfs restore tries to salvage files from a damaged filesystem and restore them to a path, or list subvolume tree roots. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Read-only source
- The filesystem image is not modified during restoration. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Recovery limits
- Recovery depends on readable metadata, and recovered data may be incomplete or from older versions. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Selective recovery
- Restore can target a subvolume and can filter filenames with a regular expression. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Snapshots
- The snapshots option includes snapshots that are skipped by default. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Recovery sources
- Btrfs filesystem device · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 19 Sept 2026
- Support
- The project documentation directs users to the #btrfs Libera Chat channel, the linux-btrfs mailing list, and the btrfs-progs GitHub issue tracker for userspace tools issues. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Support channels
- The project documentation directs users to the #btrfs Libera Chat channel, the linux-btrfs mailing list, and the btrfs-progs GitHub issue tracker for userspace tool issues. · btrfs.readthedocs.io, 12 Oct 2026
Where btrfs restore stands on Freedom251
- Data recovery software#80 of 128