5.10.3. Which filesystem should be used?

There is usually little point in using many different filesystems. Currently, ext3 is the most popular filesystem, because it is a journaled filesystem. Currently it is probably the wisest choice. Reiserfs is another popular choice because it to is journaled. Depending on the overhead for bookkeeping structures, speed, (perceived) reliability, compatibility, and various other reasons, it may be advisable to use another file system. This needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis.

A filesystem that uses journaling is also called a journaled filesystem. A journaled filesystem maintains a log, or journal, of what has happened on a filesystem. In the event of a system crash, or if your 2 year old son hits the power button like mine loves to do, a journaled filesystem is designed to use the filesystem's logs to recreate unsaved and lost data. This makes data loss much less likely and will likely become a standard feature in Linux filesystems. However, do not get a false sense of security from this. Like everything else, errors can arise. Always make sure to back up your data in the event of an emergency.

See

Section 5.10.6

for more details about the features of the different filesystem types.