Comparing Linux File Systems

VG
3 min readSep 8, 2023
Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

In the world of Linux, the choice of a file system can significantly impact data management, performance, and stability. With a variety of file systems available, each designed to meet specific needs, it’s crucial to understand their differences and strengths. In this article, we’ll compare nine prominent Linux file systems: Ext4, Ext3, Ext2, Btrfs, ZFS, XFS, F2FS, NILFS, and JFS, including their release years and an analysis of their pros and cons.

Ext4 (Fourth Extended Filesystem)

Release Year: 2008

Origin: Ext4 is a direct evolution of the Ext3 file system, which itself was an improvement over Ext2. Ext2 originated in the early ’90s and served as a standard Linux file system for many years.

Pros:

  • High performance.
  • Journaling for data integrity.
  • Backward compatibility with Ext2/Ext3.
  • Support for large file systems.

Cons:

  • Limited support for advanced features.

Ext3 (Third Extended Filesystem)

Release Year: 2001

Origin: Ext3 was a significant improvement over Ext2, introducing journaling for data recovery. Ext2, developed in the early ’90s, was one…

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