What is the best file system for Linux?

[wdhpr]

I'm looking for peoples opinion on which file system they use for their Linux platform and why?

I have used fat32, ext2,3,4 and I am currently back to using ext3.

I have been reading up on the subject. Opinions are diverse as they are plentiful.
Several websites I have found are interesting.

Ext3 and Ext4: Which file system to install? April 2009

Ext3 vs Ext4 April 2009

What is ext3? Oct 2004

Wikipedia The ext4 or fourth extended filesystem ongoing

Heres a comparison chart of all the file systems. I had no idea there were so many

To be perfectly honest I can only understand bits and pieces of whats in these articles as they use some technical language that goes over this novices head. So I was wondering if someone could explain this in everyday terms that we all can understand?

Wdhpr

[1002richards]

Hi,
I too find it a bit of a mystery so I go with the default in Ubuntu which is Ext4. I dual boot so I have a partition for all my docs etc that Vista & Ubuntu can both access which is NTFS. It may not be high tech but it works for me.
I'll be interested to see what others suggest.

Richard

[Ritho]

My understanding of the differences between the two is meager at best, I understand that some of the advantages of ext4 over ext3 have been lost as certain fixes have been applied to it. Still it seems that ext4 is pretty safe to use as long as you keep the journaling turned on.

Power failures are often quoted as a major cause of data loss on ext4 systems. I have a UPS so that is not as much of a concern to me. It seems like I read somewhere that Google's servers all are using ext4, so since I trust they are far more educated than I it must be fairly safe to use. However, I doubt they suffer from power failures to often either. I always have, perhaps unwisely, just allowed the OS to install the default file system. So I have been using ext4 for a while.

Jeff would probably have the best insight in to the differences. I am unsure which Bodhi uses as default.

[Jeff91]

Right now the argument for "best file system" on Linux systems is typically between btrfs and the before mentioned EXT4. EXT4 has been around longer (much longer if you could ext2 and ext3 as building blocks to it) and btrfs is still considered semi-testing software. I like bleeding edge software, but not in my file system! As such EXT4 is the default system used for Bodhi and the FS I recommend to Linux users when they ask

BTRFS is suppose to be a bit quicker if you are up to trying it out though - Just note it only got into the Linux kernel as of 2.6.35, so some distros will not have it as an option.

Cheers,
~Jeff

[Jojoyee]

I've been using ext4 with no issue so far since it's the recommended file system for Ubuntu and Mint and has some advantages over ext3.

While I need to save files to share with XP or 7, I usually save them in a separate partition formatted in ntfs since Windows can't read ext4 file system by default. In Linux's eyes, it's kind of 'I can read yours but you can't read mine'.

[wdhpr]

Ritho

Still it seems that ext4 is pretty safe to use as long as you keep the journaling turned on.

How do you turn journaling off?

Wdhpr

Allowing Windows to at least read the files would be a good first start.

[Ritho]

I think there is a couple of file system tools that can do it. I have never done it.

[Jeff91]

Originally Posted by wdhpr

Ritho
Allowing Windows to at least read the files would be a good first start.

Its not that Windows "isn't allowed" to read linux file system formats - its that M$ refuses to write drivers to allow it to do so. If FOSS can write a driver to make the closed source ntfs work under Linux then it should be very easy for M$ to write a driver for Windows to read the FOSS filesystems that exist...

~Jeff

[wdhpr]

Originally Posted by Jeff91

Its not that Windows "isn't allowed" to read linux file system formats - its that M$ refuses to write drivers to allow it to do so. If FOSS can write a driver to make the closed source ntfs work under Linux then it should be very easy for M$ to write a driver for Windows to read the FOSS filesystems that exist...

Now that you put it that way. It make sense and now that I think about it. Why would Windows want to support other operating systems? This is just one of many things Windows does to stifle the competition. I guess it can be looked at as good business sense. In reality this kinda of thing probably drives people further away.

I started to take a harder look at Linux when Windows unleashed that stinker they called Vista and now they expect people to pony up $150.00 for a decent replacement. You cant even upgrade from XP
From what I have read Apple can be just as bad.

Cheers
Wdhpr