ext2/ext3, sync/async filesystems, data hygiene

[Anonymous <cripto@ecn.org>]

I'm thinking of switching from ext3 back to ext2 because the wiping
utilities (shred, srm) aren't supposed to work on journaled
filesystems. But I'm also thinking of mounting ext2 synchronously to
reduce the risk of data loss (power cuts, etc).

What will I screw up if I do this?


I notice that the BSD people normally use synchronous filesystems and
we GNU-Linux people normally use async. Why? Are they wrong or just
different, and how?


Alternatively, can anyone recommend a file-wiping tool that
purges/wipes the ext3 journal as well as overwriting the file?

Thanks.