Microsoft's exFAT Is Still Crap On Linux

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Microsoft's exFAT Is Still Crap On Linux

If you were hoping to see support for Microsoft's exFAT file-system land in the Linux 3.3 kernel, guess again...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTAzOTE

[kraftman]

Microsoft's exFAT Is Still Crap On Linux

You probably meant: It's still crap.

[cynyr]

I'm out of the loop I guess, but what actually uses exFAT? I have yet to run into a USB flash drive formatted with exFAT.

So when would using exFAT over say ntfs or FAT32 be a good idea?

[disi]

I'm out of the loop I guess, but what actually uses exFAT? I have yet to run into a USB flash drive formatted with exFAT.

So when would using exFAT over say ntfs or FAT32 be a good idea?

I think Sony wants to use exFAT for a new generation of 2TB memory cards. Those would be then for Windows and MAC only?

[wswartzendruber]

FAT32 doesn't handle files larger than 4 GB and NTFS permissions on removable drives can become an issue. exFAT is for modern-day removable drives that don't need (and shouldn't have) permissions that can store 1080p movies which are larger than FAT32's maximum.

Of course, UDF also fills these requirements, and is well-supported under all NT6-based operating systems. Formatting must be done from the Command Prompt, though. The Xbox 360 now supports UDF as well, so long as the storage device is MBR.

[Qaz`]

I'm out of the loop I guess, but what actually uses exFAT? I have yet to run into a USB flash drive formatted with exFAT.

So when would using exFAT over say ntfs or FAT32 be a good idea?

It's the specified file system for SDXC memory cards (SDHC successor).

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SDXC#SDXC

SDXC cards are to be pre-formatted with Microsoft's proprietary and patented exFAT file system, which the host device might not support. Since Microsoft does not publish the specifications of exFAT and its use requires a non-free license, many alternative or older operating systems do not support exFAT for technical or legal reasons. The use of exFAT on some SDXC cards may render SDXC unsuitable as a universal exchange medium, as an SDXC card that uses exFAT would not be usable in all host devices. Since the FAT32 file system supports volumes up to the SDXC's maximum theoretical capacity of 2 TB as well, a user could reformat an SDXC card to use FAT32 for greater portability between computers (see below), but consumer products such as digital cameras and camcorders do not normally provide the choice to format SDXC cards as FAT32 nor do they accept FAT32-reformatted SDXC cards.

I wonder how they (the standard comity) thought it would be a beneficial to the consumer industry to introduce requirements on software that can't be implemented without a licence from someone into a memory card standard. It's not like they wouldn't know how much linux is used in the embedded consumer electronics space.

[r1348]

I'm out of the loop I guess, but what actually uses exFAT? I have yet to run into a USB flash drive formatted with exFAT.

So when would using exFAT over say ntfs or FAT32 be a good idea?

AFAIK it's the default filesystem for SDXC memory cards.

[wswartzendruber]

So when would using exFAT over say ntfs or FAT32 be a good idea?

Never. To my knowledge, everything that supports exFAT also supports UDF. Just use that instead.

[Shining Arcanine]

Phoronix: Microsoft's exFAT Is Still Crap On Linux

If you were hoping to see support for Microsoft's exFAT file-system land in the Linux 3.3 kernel, guess again...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTAzOTE

You should benchmark ZFSOnLinux with ZRAID/ZRAID2 against mdadm-RAID5/LVM/Ext4, mdadm-RAID5/LVM/Tuxera-NTFS, mdadm-RAID6/LVM/Ext4 and mdadm-RAID6/LVM/Tuxera-NTFS. I suspect ZFS will outperform the others.

[kaczu]

I would like to see better MTP support first before even worrying about exFat.