Linux 5.2-rc1 Kernel Released With Case-Insensitive EXT4, New Intel HW & RTW88 WiFi

[tildearrow]

Because when people name their file "Cute cat.jpg" later when they want to open it, "cute cat.jpg" is the same file. These are not 2 different files in the mind of a normal computer user.

I doubt a "normal computer user" would use a terminal to open a file. They'd use the file manage.
But if you mean "Open/Save"-dialog-wise, then the dialog should be doing the case correction instead of the filesystem.

One tiny application that will break if case-insensitive filenames are enabled is sl. One of its files is called " LS".

[torsionbar28]

Have any Linux distribution made any statement on plans to use case-insensitive ext4?
Since it is set on a directory basis, it could be set for only the home directory.

I hope not. This seems like the most useless feature ever. Useless at best, harmful at worst. Hopefully the distros are smart enough to disable it in their kernel builds.

[uid313]

That would be the case because they're conditioned by operating systems which are case insensitive. Baby duck syndrome at it's finest.

There is the Principle of least astonishment (POLA). It argues that "People are part of the system. The design should match the user's experience, expectations, and mental models".

[Guest]

There is the Principle of least astonishment (POLA). It argues that "People are part of the system. The design should match the user's experience, expectations, and mental models".

I don't think U*IX was supposed to be user friendly, that's the thing that makes it good. People are in fact case sensitive, and the idea of bringing user interfaces down to the lowest common denominator is just sad. Right now it feels like modern interfaces are not designed for users who might become power users. Everything is getting dumbed down to an alarming level. Learning curve can be a good thing, sometimes unlearning is harder than learning new things.

[Mateus Felipe]

Because when people name their file "Cute cat.jpg" later when they want to open it, "cute cat.jpg" is the same file. These are not 2 different files in the mind of a normal computer user.

You say. I since ever see my files as case-sensitive, even when I was a "normal person" using my computer. Do you have a source for your statement?

[rmoog]

I can't quite understand why are there case-insensitive filesystems. From an engineering POV, case-sensitive filesystems are even cheaper to implement because they don't have to upper/lower-case every file name for comparisons.