Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Native Linux Kernel Module Is Out For Microsoft exFAT

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #21
    a few notes

    Hello.
    I'm the owner of the github page and of the native exFat linux read-write driver.
    I'm impressed that the Phoronix community has created a two-page discussion the same day the drivers got released.

    I would like to reveal a few things about the driver.

    It's an android exFat driver which I found on github about a month ago.
    I highly dislike Microsoft's attempts to bring the reputation of linux and similar open-source projects down.

    I've needed a way to interact with my external 1TB HDD via linux and store large files on it, and there was no non-fuse ntfs driver available for linux either, so I decided to do a good thing and write a native kernel rw exFat driver for linux.
    There was a ro driver and a fuse implementation before.
    The first that came up in my mind is to find if it was available on the net already: I've checked android source codes from one of the manufacturer's website, but they did not release any parts of the exfat modules there.
    Then I made a simple search on github and there was a couple of repos of some tablet's kernel. There was it.
    The version of that kernel was 3.0 so I had to put some effort (literally, 4 hours) to make it work on the version 3.8.

    This driver has not been written by me, I just ported it to the newer kernel version, with minimal adjustments.
    That is a good thing, because I can state that the driver will work with all 3.x versions of kernel, if only you could spend an hour fixing a couple of lines of code for that version.

    The reason I did not port it to 3.9 is because I wanted to make a release ASAP and the community to pick this code to do whatever you like: patches/ports/improvements; and release that as branches on github or somewhere else. It is a work of an hour or less for any programmer to make it work with the latest kernel.
    And it's even a good source to create a driver for other platforms.

    I used tor all the time and using it right now because I don't want to waste any more time on dealing with microsoft's idiotic policies, that's why I've uploaded the code in 1 hr on github, via the on-site editor.

    This driver is guaranteed to provide full exFat support on linux, on the same level as it's available on all android tablets with the kernel version 3.0.

    I am not planning on supporting this driver because I believe I've done enough for the community to have the full linux exFat support.
    Feel free to fork and port as you like.
    It's not a patch, and can be installed as a separate module by running just one command: `make install`. It's like the vboxdrv, same principle.

    P.S.
    I may find more native drivers (ntfs?) from that tablet's source code and release them later.

    Free software for the free Minds!

    Comment


    • #22
      Originally posted by deanjo View Post
      That's actually backwards, the device manufacturer's pay MS to license exFAT support.
      Indeed. That's why Samsung created F2FS and made it available under the open-source licenses. All it really needs is manufacturer adoption to take off since it works well under Windows, Linux, and OSX.

      Comment


      • #23
        I dont care exFAT but i need an fast NTFS kernel Driver or an WORKING ext3/4 Driver for Windows.

        PS: I know there is currently an unstable driver but he is Managed by an creepy unstable Tool.

        Comment


        • #24
          Originally posted by Nille View Post
          I dont care exFAT but i need an fast NTFS kernel Driver or an WORKING ext3/4 Driver for Windows.

          PS: I know there is currently an unstable driver but he is Managed by an creepy unstable Tool.
          You can also use Universal Data Format. It works well on all major operating systems.

          Comment


          • #25
            Github user ksv1986 just submitted a patch and resolved the 3.9 compatibility issue.
            Now this module is confirmed to work on both 3.8 and 3.9 kernels.

            To those who were complaining on the first page: It was literally one line of code!

            Phoronix: please, update the post on the main page.

            Thank you all!
            Last edited by rzrx; 26 June 2013, 03:16 PM.

            Comment


            • #26
              Originally posted by rzrx View Post
              Hello.
              I'm the owner of the github page and of the native exFat linux read-write driver.
              I'm impressed that the Phoronix community has created a two-page discussion the same day the drivers got released.

              I would like to reveal a few things about the driver.

              It's an android exFat driver which I found on github about a month ago.
              I highly dislike Microsoft's attempts to bring the reputation of linux and similar open-source projects down.

              I've needed a way to interact with my external 1TB HDD via linux and store large files on it, and there was no non-fuse ntfs driver available for linux either, so I decided to do a good thing and write a native kernel rw exFat driver for linux.
              There was a ro driver and a fuse implementation before.
              The first that came up in my mind is to find if it was available on the net already: I've checked android source codes from one of the manufacturer's website, but they did not release any parts of the exfat modules there.
              Then I made a simple search on github and there was a couple of repos of some tablet's kernel. There was it.
              The version of that kernel was 3.0 so I had to put some effort (literally, 4 hours) to make it work on the version 3.8.

              This driver has not been written by me, I just ported it to the newer kernel version, with minimal adjustments.
              That is a good thing, because I can state that the driver will work with all 3.x versions of kernel, if only you could spend an hour fixing a couple of lines of code for that version.

              The reason I did not port it to 3.9 is because I wanted to make a release ASAP and the community to pick this code to do whatever you like: patches/ports/improvements; and release that as branches on github or somewhere else. It is a work of an hour or less for any programmer to make it work with the latest kernel.
              And it's even a good source to create a driver for other platforms.

              I used tor all the time and using it right now because I don't want to waste any more time on dealing with microsoft's idiotic policies, that's why I've uploaded the code in 1 hr on github, via the on-site editor.

              This driver is guaranteed to provide full exFat support on linux, on the same level as it's available on all android tablets with the kernel version 3.0.

              I am not planning on supporting this driver because I believe I've done enough for the community to have the full linux exFat support.
              Feel free to fork and port as you like.
              It's not a patch, and can be installed as a separate module by running just one command: `make install`. It's like the vboxdrv, same principle.

              P.S.
              I may find more native drivers (ntfs?) from that tablet's source code and release them later.

              Free software for the free Minds!
              This driver is Microsoft's intellectual property, it will be taken offline and you will receive a C&D letter from Microsoft. Good work.

              Legally no one can even use it unless you pay ExFAT tax (which is $2 per device if I'm not mistaken).

              Shame.

              Comment


              • #27
                Originally posted by strcat View Post
                You can also use Universal Data Format. It works well on all major operating systems.
                Linux has Problems with the newer Versions and Windows dont allow it to use UDF as an HDD Filesystem.

                Comment


                • #28
                  Originally posted by Nille View Post
                  Linux has Problems with the newer Versions
                  What versions exactly? All I tried are working fine.
                  and Windows dont allow it to use UDF as an HDD Filesystem.
                  It does. I use UDF HDDs all day to share large files between various OSes. If you format the disc with Linux just make sure you tell it to be a HDD and choose the right block size, else Windows will freak out.

                  Comment


                  • #29
                    Originally posted by birdie View Post
                    This driver is Microsoft's intellectual property, it will be taken offline and you will receive a C&D letter from Microsoft. Good work.

                    Legally no one can even use it unless you pay ExFAT tax (which is $2 per device if I'm not mistaken).

                    Shame.
                    It would be left to a court to decide if any patents were infringed, and that depends if ExFAT is currently patented in the guy's country of origin.

                    Comment


                    • #30
                      Originally posted by birdie View Post
                      This driver is Microsoft's intellectual property, it will be taken offline and you will receive a C&D letter from Microsoft. Good work.

                      Legally no one can even use it unless you pay ExFAT tax (which is $2 per device if I'm not mistaken).

                      Shame.
                      Birdie girlie, shut the hell up and stop FUDing! Patent infringement is only applicable if the patented work is used! You can't C&D an S3TC library or libdecss!

                      If he starts distributing the library or starts to use it, then it may be the case, but uploading the SOURCE code does NOTHING.

                      Also, ANY user that has a DEVICE WITH EXFAT AUTOMATICALLY PAYED THE MSTAX BY MEANS OF PURCHASING THE DEVICE.

                      This is the same reason why ANYONE CAN USE S3TC WITH ANY DRIVER, because ANY MODERN CARD is produced by MANUFACTURER that PAID FOR S3TC and THIS PRICE was COVERED BY CONSUMER AT TIME OF PURCHASE.

                      In BOTH CASES THE LICENSE WAS ALREADY PAID FOR.

                      So it would only be illegal to use A BINARY of this library when NOT HAVING ANY EXFAT DEVICE.

                      Originally posted by rzrx View Post
                      Github user ksv1986 just submitted a patch and resolved the 3.9 compatibility issue.
                      Now this module is confirmed to work on both 3.8 and 3.9 kernels.

                      To those who were complaining on the first page: It was literally one line of code!

                      Phoronix: please, update the post on the main page.

                      Thank you all!
                      Deepest respect to you pal, thanks a lot for this!
                      Last edited by brosis; 28 June 2013, 09:15 AM.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X