Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Martin Olsson]

Hello,


I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full 
writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to 
implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper 
NTFS support been neglected?

Is there any file system I can use which satisfies these criteria:
A) works in both Linux and Windows
B) handle >4GB files
C) handle 120GB partitions


Sincerly,
/m

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Felipe Alfaro Solana]

On Sun, 2004-05-30 at 19:54, Martin Olsson wrote:

> I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full 
> writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to 
> implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper 
> NTFS support been neglected?

Maybe because our favorite monopolistic company wants to keep its
internals well hidden to the public? The reason they are doing this is
completely unknown to me.

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Denis Vlasenko]

On Sunday 30 May 2004 21:37, Felipe Alfaro Solana wrote:
> On Sun, 2004-05-30 at 19:54, Martin Olsson wrote:
> > I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full
> > writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to
> > implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper
> > NTFS support been neglected?
>
> Maybe because our favorite monopolistic company wants to keep its
> internals well hidden to the public? The reason they are doing this is
> completely unknown to me.

AFAIK Linux NTFS-fs team said it knows enough to implement it.
It's a question of time and motivation now.
--
vda

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Bernd Petrovitsch]

On Sun, 2004-05-30 at 19:54, Martin Olsson wrote:
> I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full 
> writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to 
> implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper 
> NTFS support been neglected?

Because there is no official documentation which will cover future
versions of NTFS (which may come with the next patch^Whotfix - let alone
service pack).

	Bernd
-- 
Firmix Software GmbH                   http://www.firmix.at/
mobil: +43 664 4416156                 fax: +43 1 7890849-55
          Embedded Linux Development and Services

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Pawel Kot]

On Sunday 30 May 2004 19:54, Martin Olsson wrote:

Hi Martin,

> I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full
> writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to
> implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper
> NTFS support been neglected?

Because it is not easy. NTFS has very sophisticated structure, not documented 
anywhere but already reverse engineered and partially documented at 
linux-ntfs project page (http://linux-ntfs.sf.net/).

As I said this is not easy task and as such it is time consuming. All 
linux-ntfs developers are volunteers and not paid for this work. It means 
that all code is written in the free time. Much time was also spent on 
helping users (this will change now, see the manifest on the project page).

To summarize, the write support will appear sooner or later, if you volunteer 
to help, you are very welcome.

I'm ccing ntfs-dev list which is a better place to discuss such topics.

take care,
pkot
-- 
mailto:pkot@bezsensu.pl
http://www.gnokii.org/

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Giuseppe Bilotta]

Martin Olsson wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> 
> I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full 
> writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to 
> implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper 
> NTFS support been neglected?
> 
> Is there any file system I can use which satisfies these criteria:
> A) works in both Linux and Windows
> B) handle >4GB files
> C) handle 120GB partitions

ext2/3

There are (open source) ext2/3 drivers for Windows.

-- 
Giuseppe "Oblomov" Bilotta

Can't you see
It all makes perfect sense
Expressed in dollar and cents
Pounds shillings and pence
                  (Roger Waters)

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Dax Kelson]

On Sun, 2004-05-30 at 19:54 +0200, Martin Olsson wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> 
> I was wondering why is there no Linux NTFS-driver which allows full 
> writing etc? Is there something that makes this particular difficult to 
> implement? I mean Linux supports so many file systems, why has proper 
> NTFS support been neglected?
> 
> Is there any file system I can use which satisfies these criteria:
> A) works in both Linux and Windows
> B) handle >4GB files
> C) handle 120GB partitions

UDF meets A & B. I don't if it meets C.

Dax

Re: Why is proper NTFS-driver difficult?

[Erik Andersen]

On Sun May 30, 2004 at 11:20:20PM -0600, Dax Kelson wrote:
> On Sun, 2004-05-30 at 19:54 +0200, Martin Olsson wrote:
> > Is there any file system I can use which satisfies these criteria:
> > A) works in both Linux and Windows
> > B) handle >4GB files
> > C) handle 120GB partitions
> 
> UDF meets A & B. I don't if it meets C.

Last time I tried it, Windows would only read UDF from CD/DVD,
not from a hard drive.  Stupid but true...

 -Erik

--
Erik B. Andersen             http://codepoet-consulting.com/
--This message was written using 73% post-consumer electrons--