Help! I've lost files on my Linode and I dont have any backups.

Introduction

We've all heard the warnings to backup our data as much as possible, but what happens when you've ignored these warnings? Can anything be done to recover the lost data? The answer is maybe, so once you've finished yelling at yourself continue reading.

Forewarning, this process is a hail mary and does not guarantee that any information will be recovered.

In order to keep everything organized and easy to follow I've included links to all the associated guides at the end of this post.

Steps To Take

1. Power Down the Linode ASAP
2. Deploy a new Linode with a larger on-board storage capacity [1]
3. Shrink the disk on the new Linode and install TestDisk [2]
4. Clone the Disk of the Linode containing the data you wish to recover to the Linode you created earlier [3]
5. Assign the cloned disk to the new Linode by editing the Configuration Profile in your Linode Manager. [4]

Once the steps above are complete you're ready to attempt data recovery. The guide below will take you through the next part of this process. I recommend reading through and familiarizing yourself information before proceeding.

https://itsfoss.com/recover-deleted-files-linux/

Associated Guides

[1] https://www.linode.com/docs/getting-started/#create-a-linode
[2] https://www.linode.com/docs/quick-answers/linode-platform/resize-a-linode-disk/
[3] https://www.linode.com/docs/platform/disk-images/clone-your-linode/
[4] https://www.linode.com/docs/platform/disk-images/disk-images-and-configuration-profiles/#editing-a-configuration-profile

To avoid running into this issue again I recommend enabling the Linode Backups Service. It's simple, easy to use, and can be controlled from the same Linode Manager you already know and love. More information in the links below.

https://www.linode.com/backups
https://linode.com/docs/platform/disk-images/linode-backup-service/

Block Storage Volumes

If you are trying to recover data from a Block Storage Volume, the steps would be slightly different:

1. Unmount and detach the Block Storage Volume.
2. Optional: Clone the Block Storage Volume so you will have a backup of the original in case you find alternative recovery options later that you might want to try.
3. Reattach the one of the Block Storage Volume, either the original or the clone. (Do not mount it)
4. Install TestDisk on your Linode
5. Run TestDisk against your Block Storage Volume's device file, i.e. /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-0Linode_Volume_...