[ltp] Setting up dual-boot on my R31 (and other desktops, too)

[linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org]

I'm thinking of setting up my Thinkpad R31 with Windows and Linux.   I
have 1 GB of RAM.   I'll likely set up Linux first and then Windows at
a later date.   I'm leaning towards Ubuntu but curious about Gentoo.

I'm not sure if I have to use the ext2 file system.  Any other
situations where I can't or shouldn't use a journaling file system
like ext3, reiserfs, or xfs?

If I implemented this setup on a *desktop*, will I get better
performance if I put my swap partition on a second physical drive?
The primary will have one Linux and one Windows (NTFS) partition.
I'm thinking of putting a bunch of older 3-8 GB 3.5" drives to use.

Any other thoughts on implementing this setup?

Thanks for reading!