choosing filesystem for gentoo install on powerbook
 

what filesystem should i choose for my 1 GHz G4 tibook? I am in the middle of gentoo
linux install and have been given the following choices:
ext2
ext3
ReiserFS
XFS
JFS
ummm... if you aren't familiar with this models hardware here's some info:
Machine Model: Powerbook G4 15"
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3) ***Note: I don't know what 3.3 means
CPU Speed: 1 GHz
L2 Cache: 256 KB
L3 Cache: 1 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 133 MHZ
Memory...
SODIMM0 (TOP) size 512 MB, type SD, speed PC133U-133
SODIMM1 (BOT) same
Hard Drive...
55.89 GB

thanks.

All are good but EXT2. Even Fat16 is better then EXT2... maybe not that bad, but close enough. I'd recommend ReiserFS for speed, EXT3 for stability and XFS/JFS if you want to be different (Few peoples use those one).

I use ReiserFS myself and it rules. Only "drawback" is a little delay (1s maybe?) to mount a FAT32/NTFS partition.

Good luck!

I use reiser too .. No issues with it and I run it on 6 systems (gentoo systems)

Ext3 or Reiserfs, either one will probably be fine. You can find arguments both for and against either one, but really I think they're both fast and stable.

I use ext3 simply because it has fewer mount options than reiser and my brain is filling up.

i read that ext3 filesystem on the powerbook causes the drive to heat up due to "touching" every 5 seconds and that code should be changed to compensate for this and to extend the life of the hard drive. which makes me wonder... how long is my hard drive going to last? will the life expectancy drop if i use a specific filesystem. i don't think the computer should have to work any harder than it has to or poke itself too often or whatever.

thanks.

The commit interval for both reiserfs and ext3 is normally 5 seconds. I believe there is now support in kernel 2.6 for changing this for reiserfs with a commit=N option during mount. There are also patches that do the same thing for ext3.

I guess if you don't want to mess with patches then reiserfs is a better choice for a laptop, although I think it's more of a power issue than a temperature concern.

gentoo is to be my primary operating system. i have essentially switched from apple's MacOS X to gentoo linux. i am looking for optimal performance for an environment that handles all types of files big and small. the tasks performed on this machine vary.

If you like to live on the edge try reiser4.There are iso's out that support installing with it.