Journaled File Systems
 

I was reading up on a few distros and came across the term "journaled file systems," and then a few file systems I had never heard of including JFS, ReiserFS, and XFS. I assume they work for Linux, but are they similar to ext3? Are there any advantages to using these file systems?

ext3 is a type of journaling filesystem, but mainly its a simply expansion to ext2, it doesn't actually journal data, so some would say it isn't truly journaling, but it is the most tested of these filesystems on Linux.

The others you mention are all available for Linux. The most popular of these is reiserfs. which does do the journaling of data.

What is "journaling"? Does it have any benefits over standard ext3?

ext3 is journaling already ( sortof ) for an explanation of Journaling see This wiki article

Yeah, if you have frequent power outages, you might want to consider a journalled filesystem if you don't already have one. You're less likely to have to reinstall your OS after an outage that way. Its like packing a programmed GPS in your vehicle before you take off. Good idea.

It just keeps a journal of what your doing all the time, instead of doing file sys checks..