Ubuntu 9.04 Supports Ext4
Since its addition to Kernel 2.6.28, the ext4 filesystem can be manually installed in the upcoming Ubuntu release.
Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope), which has its official release in April 2009, will support the ext4 filesystem that is the successor to ext3. According to Ubuntu's Colin Watson, support for the ext4 partition is already in the installer as an option. Previously it was only possible by formatting an existing non-boot partition via mkfs.ext4 on the command line.
It was not so long ago that Ted Ts'o successfully installed ext4 on his own system and kernel developers merged it into the 2.6.28 mainline code. For a while there was a hitch in adopting ext4 because of an issue with initramfs, but work to get the filesystem into a production environment is well in gear.
The filesystem offers some advantages over its ext3 predecessor. It can handle data up to 16 Terabytes and filesystems up to an Exabyte (about a million Terabytes). It also allows for an unlimited number of subdirectories and manages data types better. Regular users will also benefit from ext4 in that regular consistency tests via fsck have proved it to be markedly faster, according to Ted Ts'o.
Ubuntu kernel team member Tim Gardner reported being "really impressed" with ext4 in that file deletion proved about 20 times faster than with ext3, and kernel build times were cut in half. He also included a few links to suggestions how to migrate ext3 to the new ext4.
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
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.