Are you using Ext4?

[artir]

Just I want to know some people's experiences with ext4 to decide wheter to change or keep ext3.

[Darkhack]

It's still a brand new file system and there are bugs. Ubuntu backported some of the patches that fix the rename() sans fysnc() bug, but I'm still weary about switching. I'll probably wait until the next LTS before going with ext4. That way it will have gone through plenty of testing with the 9.04 and 9.10 releases.

[adamlau]

Not yet, not until all the extension are fully supported. Until then, ext2 for /boot and XFS everywhere else...

[jelle_]

root partition is ext4. /home is ext3 to keep my data on the partition

[Brian_the_King]

I'm using it without a single problem.. only been one day though :p

[markp1989]

im using ext4 now, the firts day i used it , i ran in to problem, i did a fresh install of arch, then when i started x, x froze, because of the hot plug bug. so i had to do a hard power off. when i done that i ended up with a bunch of zero byte files, because of the delayed allocation . then when i tried to install gtk again, pacman refused, because the files already existed.

here is the thread about it
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=68134


i did a reinstall, and now im running fine with ext4, mounts, and checks faster then ext2 did,

[SuperSonic4]

im using ext4 now, the firts day i used it , i ran in to problem, i did a fresh install of arch, then when i started x, x froze, because of the hot plug bug. so i had to do a hard power off. when i done that i ended up with a bunch of zero byte files, because of the delayed allocation . then when i tried to install gtk again, pacman refused, because the files already existed.

here is the thread about it
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=68134


i did a reinstall, and now im running fine with ext4, mounts, and checks faster then ext2 did,

Ah the input hotplugging is very annoying, luckily the arch wiki came up trumps again :popcorn:

I'm using ext4 in / and /home (still using reiserfs in /var) and I don't notice an appreciable gain but it's probably there. No problems though

[Eisenwinter]

I have an Ext3 /boot, Ext4 root, home, and /Music.

Have been on Ext4 for about 3 weeks now.

[Xero Xenith]

I'm considering moving to ext4 for my root partition for better boot time, but I'm not switching my /home over any time soon. 450 GB of stuff would take too long to replace.

So for now, ext3 all the way.

[khelben1979]

I only use the Extended 3 filesystem and don't care about version 4 until it has been accepted as stable of those who use it.

I don't want to experience data losses with the things that I have.

[markp1989]

I only use the Extended 3 filesystem and don't care about version 4 until it has been accepted as stable of those who use it.

I don't want to experience data losses with the things that I have.

i have only use ext4 on my root and home, my data partition is still ext2 . i dont store anything in home , just a few .dot files

[linux_paul]

Using ext4 for root, home and var. No problems in the last two weeks. XFS for data, media and backups.

[wolfen69]

been using it for a month with no problems.

[mister_k81]

I reformatted my harddrive and did a fresh install with EXT4 (windows is on a separate HDD). I'm not exactly sure if this is the best route to go, but I'll give it a shot I guess.. and if I start experiencing problems, It's back to EXT3.

So far, it does feel speedier... and I haven't noticed any issues yet (though, that's not saying much, since I've been only using it for an hour now).

[the8thstar]

Yes.

[billgoldberg]

I only use the Extended 3 filesystem and don't care about version 4 until it has been accepted as stable of those who use it.

I don't want to experience data losses with the things that I have.

EXT4 is considered stable.

Any piece of software has bugs.

[Dragonbite]

root partition is ext4. /home is ext3 to keep my data on the partition

That's the schema I was thinking of but with /boot being ext2

[kpkeerthi]

ext2 for /boot
reiserfs for /var
jfs for /home and all my back up drives.

[AndyCooll]

Briefly used it recently. Didn't experience any problems with it.

However I've recently been dual booting with other distros. And if the MBR is on an ext3 partition, ext4 isn't supported so you can't then boot into a distro that's on an ext4 partition.

So, I'm staying with ext3 for now until the distros I use offer ext4 partitioning.

Might revisit it when I've a bit more time.

:cool:

[lukjad]

I've heard horror stories. I'm letting other brave souls to test it out for me. ;)

[meeples]

ive been using ext4 since yesterday, the only major difference ive seen is my boot time has drastically changed, it now goes from power on to login screen in under 15 seconds which is amazing considering i have a pretty low spec system :D

[Sand & Mercury]

I've been using it for a few months now, since it was first included in Jaunty's development builds. No problems at all.

[JohnFH]

However I've recently been dual booting with other distros. And if the MBR is on an ext3 partition, ext4 isn't supported so you can't then boot into a distro that's on an ext4 partition.

So, I'm staying with ext3 for now until the distros I use offer ext4 partitioning.


The MBR isn't on a partition. It sits before it. However, it sounds like the grub version you are using doesn't support ext4 partitions. Just update your grub version (choose to install grub from the Jaunty installation is one way) and it should work.

[Lunx]

Upgraded to ext4, all went well. Boots faster, but that's only difference I'm noticing.

[Delever]

I am still using ext3 for my data, but ext4 for system partition. I don't care so much about system partition :). But it works fine so far.

[whoop]

I converted my ext3 file system to ext4 a while back using this method:
HOWTO: Convert your ext3 file system to ext4 (in Jaunty) http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1118295

running sweet.

[Dragonbite]

I've used numerous LiveCDs to access partitions on a hard drive that won't boot.

Usually this is Windows and for a while I was limited in which distros I could use because not all of them could read NTFS out of the box.

If this is the same, only a handful of distro's being able to handle Ext4, then I'm definitely keeping my /home directory on Ext3 which is more widely accessible even from a Windows machine if push-comes-to-shove.

Until Fedora 11 comes out is there anybody other than Ubuntu which can handle Ext4?

[calrogman]

I'm using Ext4 for / and Ext3 for /home, both because I wanted to keep my personal files intact during the install (I installed using a CD, deleted all my configuration files) and also to keep my personal files safe in event of error.

[Mehall]

Arch can, IIRC. Not an easy thing to do in Arch yet, iirc though.

ubuntu is the only major release since ext4 was announced as "ready"

[frup]

Considering I have everything meticulously backed up, I see no problem in using ext4, unless it break my hard disk.

Having said that it is functioning amazingly. Boot speed for me is 15 seconds according to bootchart. I don't even have a fast laptop, it's a centrino duo 1.75ghz. I'm impressed.

9.10 is apparently going to improve more and hopefully BTRFS will get faster too, I can only be pleased. My flat mate(room mate) uses windows but will dual boot with 9.04 after using my computer on and off for 6 months and appreciating the good sides. His windows XP installation takes 3 minutes to be usable after logging in - it's pretty messed up though. Still, I'm on a functioning computer before he gets to his login screen.

[Dragonbite]

Considering I have everything meticulously backed up, I see no problem in using ext4, unless it break my hard disk.

That's the other side of my thinking.. if I back it up consistently in a format that is more accessible then running Ext4 won't be so scarey because I will only loose the changes since the previous backup.

Obviously, though, I don't have a good backup regiment yet.

[master5o1]

/ = Ext4
/home = Ext3 (So I didn't format my data)

[will1911a1]

Ext3 for the moment.

[SomeGuyDude]

Until Fedora 11 comes out is there anybody other than Ubuntu which can handle Ext4?

A whole slew of Archers have been using ext4 for a while now. I'm rearing up on a month with it and it's leaps and bounds ahead of all the others (although I admit I haven't tried Reiser yet).

[Dragonbite]

A whole slew of Archers have been using ext4 for a while now. I'm rearing up on a month with it and it's leaps and bounds ahead of all the others (although I admit I haven't tried Reiser yet).

I would either try Reiser now while the corpse is still warm, or don't bother at all. Actually it wasn't all that bad.

Maybe Oracle will release ZFS when the acquisition of Sun is complete?!

[cellerit]

I put my / on ext4 and kept my /home on reiserfs. Maybe it's just an impression but it seems to boot a lot faster!

[khelben1979]

I've heard horror stories. I'm letting other brave souls to test it out for me. ;)

Same here.

[insane_alien]

i've heard the horror stories too but haven't for the life of me been able to recreate them.

ext4 is stable and i use it.

[Skripka]

Arch can, IIRC. Not an easy thing to do in Arch yet, iirc though.

ubuntu is the only major release since ext4 was announced as "ready"

Um...yea.

Ext4 is as hard in Arch, as telling the installer to partition your drive Ext4...it was that hard 2 months ago too.

[LightB]

I won't use it until grub supports it.

[NightwishFan]

I used to use XFS, and ext3 for my data partition.

My hardrive set up is like this:

P1: 100gb ext3 /mnt/backup
P2: Extended
P5: 200mb ext3 /boot
P6: 1.3gb SWAP
P7: 60gb ext4 /

I figure ext4 will be a slight improvement on XFS, so I use that for my root partition.

[JohnFH]

I won't use it until grub supports it.

I don't understand this. I have / and /home as ext4 partitions, and I just needed to update the grub in my bootloader.

This is taken directly from the Jaunty release notes:


If you choose to upgrade your / or /boot filesystem in place from ext2 or ext3 to ext4 (as documented on the ext4 wiki), then you must also use the grub-install command after upgrading to Ubuntu 9.04 RC to reinstall your boot loader. If you do not do this, then the version of GRUB installed in your boot sector will not be able to read the kernel from the ext4 filesystem and your system will fail to boot.


Links:
Jaunty Release Notes - Feature List (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/904overview)

Ext4 HowTo (http://ext4.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/Ext4_Howto)

[Stan_1936]

I only use the Extended 3 filesystem and don't care about version 4 until it has been accepted as stable of those who use it.

I don't want to experience data losses with the things that I have.

If you put /home on ext3 aren't your important files safe? Who cares what happens to the rest.....your data,pics, etc. will be safe!!! Won't they?

[Stan_1936]

I don't understand this. I have / and /home as ext4 partitions, and I just needed to update the grub in my bootloader....

How did you do that?

[JohnFH]

How did you do that?

Use the grub-install command. If you choose not to install grub as part of the Jaunty installation, or if you are upgrading, then you must run grub-install. If you do a clean install of Jaunty and allow the installer to install grub during installation (this is the default), then you don't need to call grub-install.

[Stan_1936]

...If you do a clean install of Jaunty and allow the installer to install grub during installation (this is the default), then you don't need to call grub-install.

When does it ask you to "Install Grub"???? I've never seen it...even on Manual Installation?:confused::(:confused::(

[icp]

No i still use ext3

[JohnFH]

When does it ask you to "Install Grub"???? I've never seen it...even on Manual Installation?:confused::(:confused::(

Can't remember exactly, but it probably doesn't mention grub explicitly. It just mention installing the MBR. I think I also used the alternate CD image which might have different options.

[Spiritous]

I'm new to Ubuntu so I'm keeping all the Default critical settings 'till I'm more confident ;)

[khelben1979]

If you put /home on ext3 aren't your important files safe? Who cares what happens to the rest.....your data,pics, etc. will be safe!!! Won't they?

Maybe, but I do have patience to wait until it get's better.

[jowilkin]

Been using ext4 on my laptop which is running Arch for quite a while now with no problems.

Just did a fresh install of jaunty on my HTPC over an old install of intrepid and used ext4 for everything except data which is on an external drive using NTFS. No problems yet with this setup.

[FuturePilot]

I was using Ext4 until I came across a nasty lockup bug triggered by deleting a lot of files at once. I'm back on Ext3 for now. I think I'll wait at least another release cycle before going back to Ext4. Also if you have an Ext4 partition don't try to resize it, it will get corrupted.

[Polygon]

I was using Ext4 until I came across a nasty lockup bug triggered by deleting a lot of files at once. I'm back on Ext3 for now. I think I'll wait at least another release cycle before going back to Ext4. Also if you have an Ext4 partition don't try to resize it, it will get corrupted.

is this a gparted bug or a ext4 bug? either way, ubuntu should patch gparted so it doesn't allow you to do that until it gets fixed...

[FuturePilot]

is this a gparted bug or a ext4 bug? either way, ubuntu should patch gparted so it doesn't allow you to do that until it gets fixed...

It's a bug in resize2fs which I'm pretty sure is what Gparted calls when resizing. http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/releasenotes/904#Possible%20data-loss%20problems%20resizing%20ext4

[Dragonbite]

So, does Gparted handle Ext4 if I install and then install Gparted from the repos (I don't think Ubuntu includes it by default, they just have it for installation purposes).

What about fdisk?

[FuturePilot]

So, does Gparted handle Ext4 if I install and then install Gparted from the repos (I don't think Ubuntu includes it by default, they just have it for installation purposes).

What about fdisk?

Gparted supports Ext4. I'm pretty sure all of the necessary file system tools were updated to support Ext4

[TDK800]

what about full disk encryption on Ext4 - possible? good idea?

[divague]

My / partition is ext4 and my /home partiton is using ext3

[unclebeer]

I just installed Xubuntu Jaunty on 2 machines at home today using ext4 on both, and now every time I go to delete more than a couple of files at a time, the computer locks up. Back to reiser for me.

[oomingmak]

When does it ask you to "Install Grub"???? I've never seen it...even on Manual Installation?
It's under the stupidly named "advanced" button on the last page of the partitioning sequence (where you review your choices before committing them). This option used to just have a text box with (HD0,0) in it, but now there is a more sensible device list to choose from (if needed).



So, does Gparted handle Ext4 if I install and then install Gparted from the repos
Yes.


I don't think Ubuntu includes it by default, they just have it for installation purposes
Correct.

[bobbocanfly]

I'm using ext4 for all partitions (/ and /home) on my desktop, my Eee 701 and my sister's HP MiniNote 2133. Each of them boots in about 20 seconds and I haven't had any problems with it at all.

[Euphorion]

No, I will stick with EXT3 for a while longer. EXT4 is very new and is coming into mass use. This will reveal problems which no one has thought about.

For example I have a dual boot system with Vista and Ubuntu. I backup the whole system using Acronis under Vista. Presently my Acronis Version can read Ext3, I don't know if it can read Ext4, will have to ask Acronis.

Further I use a utility in Vista to read the Linux Ext3 partition (read only), will also have to check if the utility can read Ext4. And so it goes on. Until I have resolved all these issues in my small world, I will remain with Ext3. When I have answers to everything I will migrate to Ext4.

[NightwishFan]

No, I will stick with EXT3 for a while longer. EXT4 is very new and is coming into mass use. This will reveal problems which no one has thought about.

For example I have a dual boot system with Vista and Ubuntu. I backup the whole system using Acronis under Vista. Presently my Acronis Version can read Ext3, I don't know if it can read Ext4, will have to ask Acronis.

Further I use a utility in Vista to read the Linux Ext3 partition (read only), will also have to check if the utility can read Ext4. And so it goes on. Until I have resolved all these issues in my small world, I will remain with Ext3. When I have answers to everything I will migrate to Ext4.

Try XFS if you want to have some advanced features until a more stable ext4.

[roachk71]

From what I've read about Ext4 so far, It's much better than most of the alternatives. However, I usually wait until at least a few months after a new Ubuntu release goes public, so that the developers have a real chance to whack most of the bugs out of the packages.

That said, I'm still hanging on to 8.10, using Ext3 for my boot partition, and XFS for root.

Another problem some of us have to deal with is the reinstallation of packages from source that can't be found in the repositories. This also makes us reluctant to upgrade just yet.
:p

[pw_f100_220]

ext3...i probably would've gone with ext4 if i saw the option...but i kind of flew through installation...i was excited. but it sounds like a better idea to wait for other people to find the kinks.

works great...but my ext3 external hard drive unmounts randomly...
it was fat32 but had more problems in hardy. ext3 worked great in hardy.

[markp1989]

currently i have

/ ext4
/home ext4
/media/data ext2

[itreius]

Yes, but only for my / partition, and I haven't encountered any issues so far. My documents, video, music, etc. are all on a HFS+ partition.

[Yathi]

All of u who have installed Grub on ext4, are u having any problems?? Coz i read grub is not supported.

And what about the partition getting corrupted if there is a crash or if u try to resize it. Anyone experienced this???

[Lupi]

Heck yes. It's as fast as Flash Gordon and I have nothing important to lose.

[cdwillis]

I've been using Jaunty since the 6th alpha release. I'm using ext4 for /, /boot, and /home. No problems so far, but I haven't tried to delete a large mass of files, resize my partitions, or had sudden power loss.

[cariboo]

@Yathi

Grub has been patched by the Ubuntu devs to work with ext4.

[Phreaker]

I'm brave enough to use ext4 on jaunty as my primary os :)

[toupeiro]

Using EXT4 for / on an OCZ MLC SSD. Works well, but I'm not /quite/ getting my full write speed out of it. Drive is rated at 230MB Read, 110MB write. Using noop scheduler. No problems with EXT4 as a filesystem, that I can prove, at this time. :)

[jespdj]

ext4 on my netbook (Dell Mini 9, with 32 GB SSD)
ext3 on my laptop (Dell XPS M1530)

I am still using ext3 on my laptop because I use it for the administration of my business, and so stability is more important than the small performance gain. I don't want to risk losing data or having lockups or other problems because of ext4 on my laptop.

[wiebeest]

root partition is ext4. /home is ext3 to keep my data on the partition

Same here. My theory when installing was: I want the speedy experience of EXT4 for my new Jaunty install on my root partition, but don't want to risk losing data on my seperate /home partition which is "old" EXT3.

Seems to work out really fine so far...

[NotTheMessiah]

ext4 on my netbook(wind U100) and ext3 on my laptop.

[Yathi]

Ok then.. I think i'll also make the leap..:)

[rudihawk]

I am using it everywhere :) Its awesome!

[kenweill]

i'll stick with ext3 for now. i dont have a reason to switch to ext4.
unless ubuntu will use it as the default file system in future releases, then that's the time to switch to ext4.

Just want to stick with my signature's message.

[blastus]

I'm using ext4 for root and boot. But I don't use ext4 for data that I would like to keep; I still use ext3 for everything else.

[Dragonbite]

Ok, took the plunge. When I installed Jaunty I've doen

/boot = ext2
/ = ext4
/home = ext3

Chances are Koala+ will have Ext4 the default.

[The Keeper]

Why a separate boot partition? Jaunty's GRUB supports booting from ext4.

[skymera]

Using EXT4 for / on an OCZ MLC SSD. Works well, but I'm not /quite/ getting my full write speed out of it. Drive is rated at 230MB Read, 110MB write. Using noop scheduler. No problems with EXT4 as a filesystem, that I can prove, at this time. :)

Check out sreadahead, it's suppose to be better for SSDs since seek time is not an issue.

[itsStephen]

I've been using ext4 for a few hours with no problems. It's so much faster too!

[kirsis]

100% ext4. No probs so far.

Converted 3 days ago.

[dark_phantom]

Been using ext4 on my laptop since beta.