Flash filesystems for Linux
Silent Running
Whirring machines with rotating stacks of disks are out. The elegant tablets and smartphones of today’s digital generation house flash memory that saves space and energy. We explain the characteristics of flash chips and suggest appropriate Linux filesystems.
Older computers with disks and fans increasingly hide away in data centers, protected by the cloud. Thus, users don’t notice how much heat they produce or the noise they make. Now, smartphones and tablets, the new computers, pervade many areas of life – after all, they are mobile, quiet, and energy efficient.
One reason mobile devices are more energy efficient is because the onboard storage systems use chips instead of rotating disks. Solid-state flash memory has no moving parts and is thus very robust because it experiences no mechanical stress. Moreover, diskless memory can access the desired data faster because it doesn’t require a moving head. A diskless device also produces less heat, making a loud fan superfluous. In this article, I describe some Linux filesystems and tools that work with the large variety of flash storage devices Linux supports.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Hannah Montana Linux Is Back!
Developer Noah Cagle decided the world needed the once obscure but beloved Linux distribution and gave it a decidedly pink refresh.
-
System76 Refreshes the Lemur Laptop
If you're looking for a laptop with tons of power and battery, look no further than the latest iteration of the System76 Lemur Pro.
-
More than 43 Million Lines of Code in Linux Kernel 7.2
Using the cloc utility, Michael Larabel of Phoronix discovered that Linux kernel 7.2 has over 43 million lines of code.
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.
-
Linux Gamers May Soon See Less Mouse Lag in KDE Plasma
Gamers using KDE’s Plasma desktop have been suffering from a slight input delay in mouse movement that could lead to getting fragged.
-
Three Lines of Code Improve Linux Storage Performance
A developer changed three lines of code, giving Linux storage performance a 5% bump.
-
AUR Hit Again with Malicious Packages
Once again the Arch User Repository is plagued by a high volume of malicious packages.
-
Alpine Linux 3.24 Features Fresh Desktops and a Newer Kernel
If you're a fan of Alpine Linux, it's time to upgrade because the latest version has been released with KDE Plasma 6.6, Gnome 50, and Linux kernel 6.18 LTS.
-
EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
Comprehensive measures adopted by the European Commission aim to reduce dependency on non-EU countries.
-
Linux Foundation Report Indicates AI Driving Tech Hiring
Within growing security and skills gaps, AI has been found to be a positive driving force behind tech hiring trends in Europe.