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I was copying files from my previous installation to my new Gentoo installation. After I was done. I ran wipefs on /dev/nvme0n1 thinking it old nvme drive which is connected through usb. I am in disbelief. Lost all of my configuration files. My perfect installation of gentoo. Just gone. How do I never make such mistake again? Thankfully I had backup of passwords file. Rest is gone. I am sad.
You never make such a mistake again by having real backups next time. This is how most people learn why they need backups.
The whole drive? Not just a partition? No snapshots?
All I can say is that I've done similar before, and done exactly what you did, in times before backups were a thing for home gamers; when doing backups meant owning an expensive tape drive and diligence. You're not alone.
only thing that helps is more frequent backups. new backup before you wipe or change anything.
I usually physically take drives out and boot without them before wiping. Just something I do now, because of this exact situation.
Perhaps try git for your configuration?
I haven't done it yet, but I thought about trying to restore it on another PC and see if it starts.
Personally, I configure my entire os before signing in to websites or any software (or putting any privacy critical info on my system) then I backup my os to my NAS using rescuezilla, using linux its usually max 30Gb. I also have a private github repo that i backup my dotfiles to just in case my NAS kicks the bucket. Going back to a "clean" install after doing something stupid kinda sucks but at least all your hard work making it look and feel the way you want will persist. I also highly reccomend doing some sort of offline & off network backup for privacy sensative information. Best of luck, I feel your pain I nuked my system once after days of work and i said, never again.
I have nothing to offer but some sympathy and one advice: I have two critical backups running: my personal files and the various folders containing my config files.
As I learned more or less the exact same way you just did how critical it is to backup those files too as, losing them by formatting my drive, I instantly realized they're as personal and important as my 'real' files are.