Filesystem Types

• ext2 — An ext2 filesystem supports standard Unix file types (regular files, directories, symbolic links, etc). It provides the ability to assign long file names, up to 255 characters. Versions prior to Red Hat Linux 7.2 used ext2 filesystems by default.
• ext3 — The ext3 filesystem is based on the ext2 filesystem and has one main advantage — journaling. Using a journaling filesystem reduces time spent recovering a filesystem after a crash as there is no need to fsck the filesystem.
• swap — Swap partitions are used to support virtual memory. In other words, data is written to a swap partition when there is not enough RAM to store the data your system is processing.
• vfat — The VFAT filesystem is a Linux filesystem that is compatible with Windows 95/NT long filenames on the FAT filesystem.

Partition Fields in linux

• Device: This field displays the partition's device name.
• Start: This field shows the sector on your hard drive where the partition begins.
• End: This field shows the sector on your hard drive where the partition ends.
• Size: This field shows the partition's size (in MB).
• Type: This field shows the partition's type (for example, ext2, ext3, or vfat).
• Mount Point: A mount point is the location within the directory hierarchy at which a volume exists; the volume is "mounted" at this location. This field indicates where the partition will be mounted.

Why have multiple partitions?

• Reduce the risk of system failure in case a partition becomes full. Runaway processes or maniacal users can consume so much disk space that the operating system no longer has room on the hard drive for its bookkeeping operations. This will lead to disaster. By segregating space, you ensure that things other than the operating system die when allocated disk space is exhausted.
   
• Encapsulate your data. Since file system corruption is local to a partition, you stand to lose only some of your data if an accident occurs.

What is a Partition?

• Partitioning is a means to divide a single hard drive into many logical drives.
• A partition is a contiguous set of blocks on a drive that are treated as an independent disk.
• A partition table is an index that relates sections of the hard drive to partitions.