Recommendations for journalling file systems - Talk to me – 3680 days old

[serlv]

Preparing to do an install of Mandrake, been way to long since I've spent any time w Linux.

What is your recommendation on this, and a short why.


Scott

[frombadtraverse]

I have JFS on one install, but even though it is one of the more robust (an IBM filesystem) it isn't totally accepted in the Linux community. There are some compatability downsides. I have Reiser on another and it seems well accepted and a good system. But for total usability I would opt for ext3, as it is Linux's own journalling filesystem. Definately works, as I have done unnatural shutdowns on it without problems, or the dread lenghty fsck file check.

My vote is ext3, it seems to work well, and there are no complaints. Either from me or my computer.

[Grogan]

I recommend the ext2 filesystem and it's what I will be using for the near future for those other filesystems aren't mature enough.

If you don't shut down properly a disk check is required for ext2. That's really the only drawback, because e2fsck, if used correctly, can fix anything that replaying a journal can fix. Other than problems caused by me misconfiguring kernel builds (e.g. forgetting workaround drivers for buggy chipsets), and physical hard disk failure... I haven't lost an ext2 filesystem yet.

With Ext3 it's slower to move data and there are bugs to iron out yet. Performance issues, even deadlocks under load. These would not likely be fixed in the kernels shipped by distribution vendors at this time either, unless they've taken work from the development cycle. Ext3 should be safe enough to use though, it won't blow up in your face (and it can be repaired by e2fsck for it's really ext2 in essence, with journalling added)

By replaying a journal, you've still lost whatever data didn't get written from buffers anyway. There's no free lunch there.

Journaling is highly overrated. I've seen many an NTFS filesystem blow up in the user's face (probably just as many as FAT32)... that's a full journalling filesystem too, not just meta data. I'll take FAT32 and ext2 thanks. Sometimes the simple things in life are best.

[BobGuy]

What is your recommendation on this, and a short why.

reiserfs, they are all good. Your choice. Besides you will not use linux that much, cause you know that when you use linux you are not crunchin for cancer.

fsck a 10gig or larger hard drive and you will know why people are moving to a journaled filesystem. 10 minutes to fsck vs 5 seconds to run the journal. Now imagine fsck a 80gig hard drive, this will take time.

I have used ext2 in slackware and reiserfs in mandrake 9.1, and havent noticed any slow downs as to reading or writing data to the hard drive.

[serlv]

Originally posted by BobGuy

Besides you will not use linux that much, cause you know that when you use linux you are not crunchin for cancer.

that was perhaps the case at one time. but, i can see myself spending my "at keyboard time" w Linux ( how much can that be? 4-10 hours? ), knowing that the rest of the machines are running UD.

I can see not using it for all the reasons in the past, though, if I don't forge through any resistance, within, to learning new way. I still think w Linux you have to want to purposely use it enough to get through ( and probably, stay on ) the learning curve.

[Grogan]

Originally posted by BobGuy

reiserfs, they are all good. Your choice.

fsck a 10gig or larger hard drive and you will know why people are moving to a journaled filesystem. 10 minutes to fsck vs 5 seconds to run the journal. Now imagine fsck a 80gig hard drive, this will take time.

I have used ext2 in slackware and reiserfs in mandrake 9.1, and havent noticed any slow downs as to reading or writing data to the hard drive.

I use ext2 and it does not take that long to run fsck on the filesystems and I ought to know... I force it at least once a week while sitting there watching it. I have a 40 Gb hard disk on this machine, and on the other slow machine I have a 40 gig, a 6 gig and a 4 gig hard disk.

I don't know what everybody's hangup is over e2fsck. Very insignificant... it really doesn't have to run very often and it actually works when it's needed.

I wasn't even talking about reiser... I wouldn't consider that for other reasons. They seem to blame bugs on "hardware faults". Not only that, if you have questions you better have a paypal account because the developers won't answer them without a fee.

They aren't done changing the filesystem specifications either. It has changed at least three times since it's inception... which means you have to be very careful what kernels access the filesystems. You can't just use any old rescue disk to repair your system. I'll not be locked into specific kernel versions because of some overrated filesystem.

Nobody ever mentions the reiserfs tools and their bugs either... like reiserfsck.

The performance gains using reiserfs ONLY apply to the creation of small files. It actually performs slightly more poorly than ext2 on large files and normal operations. The real world doesn't run like benchmark tests.

There is a lot of hype associated with reiserfs and journaled filesystems in general.

I'd be using ext3 before considering reiserfs, because ext3 is more mainstream and the underlying file system is mature. I expect any kernel bugs to be worked out soon (I don't use vendor supplied kernels)

[ralpha6]

Originally posted by serlv


that was perhaps the case at one time. but, i can see myself spending my "at keyboard time" w Linux ( how much can that be? 4-10 hours? ), knowing that the rest of the machines are running UD.

I can see not using it for all the reasons in the past, though, if I don't forge through any resistance, within, to learning new way. I still think w Linux you have to want to purposely use it enough to get through ( and probably, stay on ) the learning curve.

Get linux up and running and run join BBT Folding Penguins folding@home team It's another great cause as well.
Let me know if you need help installing and/or joining our team!

[Dramen]

ext3, mainstream linux, because it's time, just as it was time to move on from fat16, and it will only get better. Boot up after a power outtage or crash is not an issue as it was under ext2.