I've been using reiserfs for a while and it seems to perform good. I don't believe I've lost a file yet with the locks I've had on my machine. I don't think it is as fast as ext2 though. I'm considering switching to ext3 because it has been reported that it is overall better performing and the bugs have been ironed out. I've also heard that ext3 and reiserfs are equivalent in regular use. I think the selling point for me is the ability to convert my existing ext2 partitions to ext3 painlessly. :) Jonathan Paul Cowherd Linux and Java Administrator Genscape, Inc. Email: jonathan.cowherd@genscape.com Office: (502) 583-3730 Mobile: (502) 314-0444 -----Original Message----- From: Sean Akers [mailto:sean@akers-online.co.uk] Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 6:08 PM To: suse-linux-e@suse.com Subject: [SLE] SuSE 8.1 Pro which filesystem to use ? My 8.1 pro arrived today so I'll be busy installing it tomorrow. I do have a question, however. I read the section on file systems and I'm afraid I'm still at a loss as to which one to use. My Linux machine is a server running an AMD K6/2-500 on an FIC VA-503+ mobo with a Promise Ultra-66 controller and 256Mb RAM. It has 5 HDs drives of various sizes. Currently these are all formatted using ext2. When I get the inevitable power cut and my machine reboots having not been shut down properly , it can take forever to fsck all these drives (they are all large and full of data). So, I've been considering using one of the alternative file systems which are now available to me using 8.1. I've read the manual and am still unsure which would be the best option, ReiserFS, XFS, ext3 or JFS. They all seem to have pros and cons but I cannot decide which is the best for me. My machine acts as a Windows file server, a development machine, an internet server and firewall, a printer server, tape backup server and a groupware server. I need a file system to be robust and not lose any data due to unexpected power cuts, I also need it to be reasonably quick and I'd like the machine to reboot quickly if there is a power failure. XFS looked good in the manual with it being quick but it sounds memory intensive and it says it can easily lose data if shut down unexpectedly. ReiserFS and JFS don't journal file data, only metadata. Ext3 is easy to upgrade to but I get the idea that it doesn't perform too well. Can anyone give me their experiences with these different file systems so I can make a more educated decision. Sean Akers. ----- Sean Akers: sean@akers-online.co.uk -- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com