3

Ive reviewed all filesystems listed here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems

I like ZFS the most out of all of filesystems listed there. But is it the best choice for microSDCards?

1 Answer 1

2

Technically it doesn't really matter which filesystem you use. In practice there are some things to reconsider:

  • You can only use ZFS on systems which have support for it. So you won't be able to mount your SD card on a Windows box. Linux boxes also take considerable effort. Embedded devices like camera's or media players don't support ZFS at all.
  • Removing and inserting the card won't be easy as well. You need to unmount the filesystem, export the zpool and do the reverse when importing (as root). Most Window Managers have support for automatic or easy mount/umount of common filesystems on removable media.

While ZFS technically might be the best choice, in practice you might be better off with FAT or NTFS.

9
  • do I have to use a zpool (which is raid but zfs from what I understood) even if I only have one sdcard? Apr 11, 2014 at 13:31
  • Yes. The devices form a storage pool called a zpool from which you can create filesystems (ZFS). Volume manager and filesystem are tightly integrated. This is one of the reasons why ZFS has so many features and performance-benefits built-in.
    – mtak
    Apr 11, 2014 at 13:34
  • Oh ok, is there anyway to use the sdcard on Android? (maybe with custom kernel) Apr 11, 2014 at 13:38
  • Not that I know of, but why go through all the trouble. ZFS really comes into it's own with terabytes of data and multiple disks. The benefits for a single SD card are minimal, and there are some pretty big practical disadvantages. It's about using the right tool for the job, and ZFS for SD cards is not it :)
    – mtak
    Apr 11, 2014 at 13:42
  • I really like the features of data deduplication CopyOnWrite block suballocation block journaling and lots more. (and I really despise fat32 bacause of so many issues like data corruption/loss I had with it) Apr 11, 2014 at 13:45

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .