Best Filesystem for ext. HDD?

[chpacabrah]

I just got a WD "MyBook" external harddrive (250GB). For this drive, I intend to write to it with my linux machine at home, and then be able to access (and write) files at work with windows xp.

The default file format is FAT32 with this hard drive.

Are there any other options that are writable with both linux and windows, that are more stable?

[retsaw]

You could use an ext2/ext3 filesystem, but that does require installing Ext2IFS (http://www.fs-driver.org/) on the Windows machine, your other option is to use NTFS and try your luck with either the kernel driver which is stable (according to the website) in that you shouldn't lose any data with it, but there is only a 50% chance of creating/deleting files actually working, or you could use CaptiveNTFS (http://www.jankratochvil.net/project/captive/) which provides a wrapper around the Windows NTFS drivers. But if you don't need support for large files (over 4GB), then you are probably best off sticking with FAT32.

[chpacabrah]

You could use an ext2/ext3 filesystem, but that does require installing Ext2IFS (http://www.fs-driver.org/) on the Windows machine, your other option is to use NTFS and try your luck with either the kernel driver which is stable (according to the website) in that you shouldn't lose any data with it, but there is only a 50% chance of creating/deleting files actually working, or you could use CaptiveNTFS (http://www.jankratochvil.net/project/captive/) which provides a wrapper around the Windows NTFS drivers. But if you don't need support for large files (over 4GB), then you are probably best off sticking with FAT32.

hmm.. Yeah maybe I will just leave it fat32...

Only things really larger (or=) 4gb are dvd type/movie files, right?

Mostly just music files, probably all I'll be dealing with. If I do anything w/ large files, i guess i could always just create another partition of ext2/ext3 fs and that'd be straight.

is that fs-driver for the windows system harmful in any way?
It is my work computer, and I can't really compromise it in any way..

[retsaw]

The Ext2IFS driver isn't harmful in any way that I know of, I have used it myself without any problems, though not that often since I rarely have need to.

[bwkaz]

It may not be harmful, but it does require installing a kernel-mode driver in Windows. This is almost assuredly not allowed by the agreement you signed when you accepted your job. As you probably already know, that computer is not yours, it's owned by your place of employment, and almost everywhere that has computers has an agreement that employees sign that says basically "any computer I use isn't mine, and I can't install random programs on them".

(This doesn't stop a lot of people, mind you. But it's still something you probably agreed to as part of your job, and just because a lot of people do it, doesn't mean it's right -- or legal, for that matter, not that this falls into that category.)

And that's just user-mode programs; kernel-mode IFS drivers are much, much more likely to be frowned upon.

[crow2icedearth]

i would just keep the drive in FAT32 . you will be able read/write under linux . I keep my ipod in FAT32, because its easier to access it whereever i am.

[chpacabrah]

It may not be harmful, but it does require installing a kernel-mode driver in Windows. This is almost assuredly not allowed by the agreement you signed when you accepted your job. As you probably already know, that computer is not yours, it's owned by your place of employment, and almost everywhere that has computers has an agreement that employees sign that says basically "any computer I use isn't mine, and I can't install random programs on them".

(This doesn't stop a lot of people, mind you. But it's still something you probably agreed to as part of your job, and just because a lot of people do it, doesn't mean it's right -- or legal, for that matter, not that this falls into that category.)

And that's just user-mode programs; kernel-mode IFS drivers are much, much more likely to be frowned upon.


yeah you're right, I didn't even really think about that. i guess i wont be using that then!

fat32 will work fine. :)

[betamaxman]

My vote is for ext2ifs as well i use it and it is great, explorer integration is super and I have had no bad data transfers to date. :cool:

ext3 is a great file system with out the 4 gb file size limit of fat and being journalized means no need for defragging.

[WhiteKnight]

stick with fat32, no need to install anything, work right out of the box, native support in all current OSes (dont think there is any that doesn't support fat32 natively)

[betamaxman]

yep until you want to share a large video file or iso larger than 4 gbs

[bwkaz]

But maybe you missed this part: chpacabrah does not own the Windows box. He (she? not that it matters) can't add random ext3 drivers to that box, no matter how well those drivers work. The FS used must have native support in Windows because of this: that means either NTFS or VFAT. Since Linux can't write NTFS very well (it's stable, but it doesn't work nicely), that leaves VFAT.

Bigger files are irrelevant when you can't use a given FS on one of the OSes at all. ;)

[chpacabrah]

But maybe you missed this part: chpacabrah does not own the Windows box. He (she? not that it matters) can't add random ext3 drivers to that box, no matter how well those drivers work. The FS used must have native support in Windows because of this: that means either NTFS or VFAT. Since Linux can't write NTFS very well (it's stable, but it doesn't work nicely), that leaves VFAT.

Bigger files are irrelevant when you can't use a given FS on one of the OSes at all. ;)

It is true. VFat for me.

HOWEVER. If it was my own box, i would use that driver. it sounds really promising.

And I'm a he.


<---Jon

[bwkaz]

Right -- it's a good solution, it just doesn't work in your case. :)