Re: ext2 on flash memory

Eduard-Gabriel Munteanu
2007-06-11T11:11:45Z

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DervishD wrote:
> *This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(r) Pro*
> *This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(r) Pro*
> Hi all :)
>
> I was wondering: is there any reason not to use ext2 on an USB
> pendrive? Really my question is not only about USB pendrives, but any
> device whose storage is flash based. Let's assume that the device has a
> good quality flash memory with wear leveling and the like...
>
> Thanks a lot in advance :)
>
> Raúl Núñez de Arenas Coronado
>

Your USB pendrive will wear faster if you use an inappropriate
filesystem. Such filesystems require frequent writes and change their
internal state often.

This could be alleviated by COWing the filesystem somehow and flushing
writes when you're finished. But the modifications will be lost if
crashes occur. The filesystem structures will still change a lot and
require big writes to update it.

Really, why don't you try a more suitable fs for your pendrive, one that
changes itself less than usual fs's?