Btrfs vs ext4 for storing movies

Garuda Community
1

i can't decide which format i should use for my external hard disk, "ext4" or "btrfs"
my external hard disk drive is of 1.5 GB.
I will create 3 partitions in it. I will give 500G to first partition and will use it for storing anime movies, anime series, anime musics, anime fan arts, Light Novels and AMVs. In second partion i will give it 10GB and store anime op's & ed's. In 3rd partition i will give it 10GB and store back ups file and some stuffs.

So, i wanna ask which file system is best suited for me.

garuda-inxi

System:
  Kernel: 6.3.1-zen1-1-zen arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.1.1
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-zen
    root=UUID=e6346f34-2492-4e39-aa4e-477b3bafe457 rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet rd.luks.uuid=82ca175a-cf5b-4ea1-b71c-ad9ad55eee67 quiet splash
    rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    rd.luks.uuid=6940389d-48b4-4d0b-89c5-7adf0f042bbc
    resume=/dev/mapper/luks-6940389d-48b4-4d0b-89c5-7adf0f042bbc loglevel=3
    ibt=off
  Desktop: Qtile v: 0.22.1 wm: LG3D vt: 1 dm: SDDM Distro: Garuda Linux
    base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: INTEL model: H61 serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: American Megatrends v: 4.6.5 date: 03/05/2019
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i3-2120 bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Sandy Bridge
    gen: core 2 level: v2 built: 2010-12 process: Intel 32nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x2A (42) stepping: 7 microcode: 0x2F
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 tpc: 2 threads: 4 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 128 KiB desc: d-2x32 KiB; i-2x32 KiB L2: 512 KiB desc: 2x256 KiB
    L3: 3 MiB desc: 1x3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1674 high: 1692 min/max: 1600/3300 scaling:
    driver: intel_cpufreq governor: schedutil cores: 1: 1653 2: 1690 3: 1692
    4: 1661 bogomips: 26341
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GF119 [GeForce GT 610] driver: nvidia v: 390.157
    alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: series: 390.xx+ status: legacy-active
    (EOL~late 2022) arch: Fermi code: GF1xx process: 40/28nm built: 2010-16
    pcie: gen: 2 speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 8 link-max: lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:104a class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.8 with: Xwayland v: 23.1.1
    compositor: Picom v: git-c4107 driver: X: loaded: nvidia gpu: nvidia
    display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 101 s-size: 483x261mm (19.02x10.28")
    s-diag: 549mm (21.61")
  Monitor-1: HDMI-0 res: 1920x1080 dpi: 102 size: 480x260mm (18.9x10.24")
    diag: 546mm (21.49") modes: N/A
  API: OpenGL Message: Unable to show GL data. Required tool glxinfo
    missing.
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8086:1c20
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA GF119 HDMI Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
    gen: 2 speed: 5 GT/s lanes: 8 link-max: lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.1
    chip-ID: 10de:0e08 class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.3.1-zen1-1-zen status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.70 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL810xE PCI Express Fast Ethernet driver: r8169 v: kernel
    pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
    chip-ID: 10ec:8136 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp3s0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Cambridge Silicon Radio Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode) type: USB
    driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-1.2:3 chip-ID: 0a12:0001 class-ID: e001
  Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 rfk-id: 0 state: up address: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.93 TiB used: 24.25 GiB (1.2%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: GALAX model: GAMER L TA1D0120A
    size: 111.79 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 61.3 scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 vendor: Seagate model: ST3500418AS
    size: 465.76 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 3.0 Gb/s
    type: HDD rpm: 7200 serial: <filter> rev: HP35 scheme: GPT
  ID-3: /dev/sdc maj-min: 8:32 type: USB vendor: Western Digital
    model: WD15SMRW-11YNDS1 size: 1.36 TiB block-size: physical: 512 B
    logical: 512 B type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter> rev: 1020 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 102.69 GiB size: 102.69 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 24.25 GiB (23.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-1 maj-min: 254:1
    mapped: luks-82ca175a-cf5b-4ea1-b71c-ad9ad55eee67
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 720 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 102.69 GiB size: 102.69 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 24.25 GiB (23.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-1 maj-min: 254:1
    mapped: luks-82ca175a-cf5b-4ea1-b71c-ad9ad55eee67
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 102.69 GiB size: 102.69 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 24.25 GiB (23.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-1 maj-min: 254:1
    mapped: luks-82ca175a-cf5b-4ea1-b71c-ad9ad55eee67
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 102.69 GiB size: 102.69 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 24.25 GiB (23.6%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-1 maj-min: 254:1
    mapped: luks-82ca175a-cf5b-4ea1-b71c-ad9ad55eee67
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 8.8 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2
    dev: /dev/dm-0 maj-min: 254:0
    mapped: luks-6940389d-48b4-4d0b-89c5-7adf0f042bbc
  ID-2: swap-2 type: zram size: 7.71 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100
    dev: /dev/zram0
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 52.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 53 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 40%
Info:
  Processes: 204 Uptime: 2h 24m wakeups: 0 Memory: 7.71 GiB
  used: 1.95 GiB (25.3%) Init: systemd v: 253 default: graphical
  tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 13.1.1 Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1339
  libs: 383 tools: gnome-software,pamac,paru pm: flatpak pkgs: 0 Shell: fish
  v: 3.6.1 default: Bash v: 5.1.16 running-in: alacritty inxi: 3.3.26
Garuda (2.6.16-1):
  System install date:     2023-05-05
  Last full system update: 2023-05-06
  Is partially upgraded:   Yes
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut
  Windows dual boot:       No/Undetected
  Failed units:
2

I would format to ext4 in your situation

4 Likes
3

What are the advantages and disadvantages

4

ext4 can be read by any device. As you wish to use it as storage.

3 Likes
5

but i am gonna use it on my destop only it's external drive but i am using it as an internal one
so multidevice support doesn't matter

6

As your question was for use as an external drive ext4 is the most portable.
As you havn,t provided your

garuda-inxi

Its hard to fill in the blanks :rofl:
You maybe dual booting?

1 Like
7

Well no I am not dual booting, but I feel a bit sour about giving my system information when it's not required. I don't know why, but I feel vulnerable.

8

Thread is solved.
No secrets in garuda-inxi.
Check the forum, it is full of hardware and software details needed to solve problems. It saves helpers from asking the same questions a thousand times over.

9 Likes
10

I store all of my data--movies, other videos, music, documents--all of my data, on an internal 7,200 RPM HDD, and none of it on my smaller, faster SSD.

Why? Because I keep my operating system on the faster SSD, because, hey, operating system speed matters! :slight_smile:

Data, not so much. The stuff--movies, whatnot--I keep on the larger, slower HDD, because data reads are fast enough--way faster than is necessary to watch, listen, or read--whatever I'm doing with those files. You could even compress all of he data on the HDD and reads would still be fast enough. :slight_smile:

In my experience, the filesystem--btrfs or ext4--doesn't matter.

regards

5 Likes
11

The main reason to choose Btrfs as a filesystem (for anything) is to use its many features for some kind of benefit. If you are not planning to take advantage of any Btrfs features for storing your movies, or you are not sure what those features even are, ext4 is most likely a better choice.

6 Likes