Use btrfs snapshots. Bring the PC to a state that you like, make a snapshot. Then on shutdown set the profile to reload to the specific snapshot.
Any issues? Just restart. Might take a minute, but it ensures the exact same environment every time.
this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2025
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Doesn't this mean that the system is never up to date? If so, please don't.
I mean, yes. You can't exactly snapshot a system and return it to operational order "under any circumstances" without compromise....
Grub-btrfs is what broke my setup. Btrfs is what broke my backup. This was last week. Come again with btrfs if it gets stable.
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Semi-serious suggestion: Guix or NixOS. They're not break-safe per se, but if they do break something, you can use the OS' previous generations to go back to an operational state. Just... don't let them use the commands that delete older generations.
(Semi-serious because they're both not exactly mainstream and not eactly conventional in their setup.)
Yep, NixOS as a base + some Flatpak store for installing apps. In fact, use impermanence to just drop all OS state apart from logs, network settings and flatpaks. That way, "turn it off and then on again" will almost always work to fix the OS.
I thought this was a request for Stack Overflow proof.
Then figured that was 'proof from pasting random crap from SO".
Then figured it's the same thing.
Any distro will be suitable, create yourself as the first user when installing (which will probably be added to the wheel/sudoers group or whatever) then create a new 'standard' user.
Most distribution defaults should be adequate.
For added safety, choose one that is immutable like, for example, Fedora atomic.
I've installed popOS to a couple of relatives, haven't had anty issues for a year so far. Can definately recommend!
Fedora Silverblue.
Or really any immutable OS; they would have to go way out of their way to even edit system files, much less break the system. I just recommend Silverblue because gnome is really hard for an inexperienced user to break.