Is there a simple way to just reset Bazzite’s installation, like a factory format or something?
Its something we have been looking into and would probably need a volunteer to help with:
Only way to do this is reinstalling the ISO currently.
You mean someone to try out the feature?
Nope. Someone to implement it properly.
If you just want to reset your layered packages, rpm-ostree reset works. It should reset rpm-ostree to the defaults of whatever image you’re using.
Or if you want to get rid of clutter in your home directory, it might be a good idea to just create a new user, transfer important data to the new user, and then either delete or keep your old user.
Though of course evaluate which is best for your use case.
I understand next to nothing when it comes to operational systems and stuff like that, but wouldn’t it be possible for the system to automatically create a master backup at the first boot and use that as a recovery option, so users can reset their systems?
Sure, I can do that manually using something like Timeshift, but what I’m asking is if it is possible for the OS do that by itself and present me with the “factory rest” option whenever I’m faced with a problem, like Windows is supposed to do (that doesn’t really work that well on Windows, I had a lot of bad experiences with these backups over there)
Take a look at Nicknamenick’s profile and trust what he is saying. If it needs someone to implement the feature, he would know.
I’m in Gaming Mode, and I see a factory reset option in system settings. Could I use that inplace of having to install a new ISO?
That won’t work on Bazzite, only on SteamOS.
Edit: Here’s the upstream open issue to achieve the same thing.
Simple. Depends on what you mean by simple.
You can do the following items:
Create a new user/delete and recreate HOME:
This will reset all of your personal data and configuration. For the most part, the items you interact with are managed separately from the system.
Reset Layered Packages:
If you have layered any packages beyond what was included in the image, this will bring the system back to the default
Delete /var:
All variable data is here. Your home lives inside of this directory. Wiping this will remove almost all system data.
Reset /etc:
This is where the majority of system configurations are set. You can see the changed files with ostree admin config diff. Some of these will no matter what be machine specific. A clean copy lives in /usr/etc
Overall, you can make a system reset script that nukes /var, copies over /usr/etc to /etc, and reboots. This will bring you pretty close to a factory reset down to the system level.