Slackware Linux Basics - Huihoo

Chapter 5. Installing Slackware Linux 23
After selecting one partition, the setup tool will ask whether you want to format a partition or not, and if you want to
format it, whether you want to check the disk for bad sectors or not (Figure 5.5, “Formatting the partition”). Checking
the disk can take a lot of time.
Figure 5.5. Formatting the partition
After selecting to format a partition, you can specify which filesystem should be used (Figure 5.6, “Selecting a
filesystem type”). Normally you can choose the ext2, ext3 and reiserfs filesystems. Ext2 was the standard Linux
filesystem for many years, but it does not support journaling. A journal is a special file or area of a partition in which
all filesystem operations are logged. When the system crashes, the filesystem can be repaired rapidly, because the
kernel can use the log to see what disk operations were performed. Ext3 is the same filesystem as Ext2, but adds
journaling. Reiserfs is a filesystem that also provides journaling. Reiserfs uses balanced trees, which make many
filesystem operations faster than with Ext2 or Ext3, especially when working with many small files. A disadvantage
is that Reiserfs is newer, and can be a bit more unstable.
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