What file system to choose ?

[QF006]

If I wanted to move on to a later version of CentOS, once the RHEL6 ripples through, will it be simple task to convert the file system from ext3 to ext4 ?

As I am new to this all, can you 'upgrade' the OS from one version to the next or does that require a reinstall ?

Siggy

[MikeTbob]

If I wanted to move on to a later version of CentOS, once the RHEL6 ripples through, will it be simple task to convert the file system from ext3 to ext4 ?

As I am new to this all, can you 'upgrade' the OS from one version to the next or does that require a reinstall ?

Siggy

You can, but the recommended way to go is to do a clean install. Making sure you have no left over cruft from the previous installation.

[NightShade03]

If I wanted to move on to a later version of CentOS, once the RHEL6 ripples through, will it be simple task to convert the file system from ext3 to ext4 ?

As I am new to this all, can you 'upgrade' the OS from one version to the next or does that require a reinstall ?

Siggy

You really wouldn't need to upgrade unless you had a reason. Most desktop and server uses won't see that big of a benefit.

[oz]

Other than faster fsck. ext4 provides faster deletion for large files since it stores file contents in extent format. Few other enhancements might not be applicable for desktop users.

Yes, I realize that but I was pointing to the only benefits that I've actually observed from using ext4. I've deleted quite a number of large files with it and don't notice any speed advantage even if it is faster, but perhaps the files weren't big enough to notice. I won't bother with trying to time any file deletions, but the quicker filesystem checks were instantly noticeable with no effort on my part.