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FILESYSTEMS(5)                                                          Linux Programmer's Manual                                                         FILESYSTEMS(5)

NAME
       filesystems  -  Linux  filesystem  types: ext, ext2, ext3, ext4, hpfs, iso9660, JFS, minix, msdos, ncpfs nfs, ntfs, proc, Reiserfs, smb, sysv, umsdos, vfat, XFS,
       xiafs

DESCRIPTION
       When, as is customary, the proc filesystem is mounted on /proc, you can find in the file /proc/filesystems which filesystems your kernel currently supports;  see
       proc(5)  for  more details.  There is also a legacy sysfs(2) system call (whose availability is controlled by the CONFIG_SYSFS_SYSCALL kernel build configuration
       option since Linux 3.15) that enables enumeration of the currently available filesystem types regardless of /proc availability and/or sanity.

       If you need a currently unsupported filesystem, insert the corresponding kernel module or recompile the kernel.

       In order to use a filesystem, you have to mount it; see mount(2) and mount(8).

       The following list provides a short description of the available or historically available filesystems in the Linux kernel.  See the kernel documentation  for  a
       comprehensive description of all options and limitations.

       ext       is  an  elaborate extension of the minix filesystem.  It has been completely superseded by the second version of the extended filesystem (ext2) and has
                 been removed from the kernel (in 2.1.21).

       ext2      is the high performance disk filesystem used by Linux for fixed disks as well as removable media.  The second extended filesystem was  designed  as  an
                 extension of the extended filesystem (ext).  See ext2(5).

       ext3      is a journaling version of the ext2 filesystem.  It is easy to switch back and forth between ext2 and ext3.  See ext3(5).

       ext4      is  a  set of upgrades to ext3 including substantial performance and reliability enhancements, plus large increases in volume, file, and directory size
                 limits.  See ext4(5).

       hpfs      is the High Performance Filesystem, used in OS/2.  This filesystem is read-only under Linux due to the lack of available documentation.

       iso9660   is a CD-ROM filesystem type conforming to the ISO 9660 standard.

                 High Sierra
                        Linux supports High Sierra, the precursor to the ISO 9660 standard for CD-ROM filesystems.  It is automatically recognized  within  the  iso9660
                        filesystem support under Linux.

                 Rock Ridge
                        Linux also supports the System Use Sharing Protocol records specified by the Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol.  They are used to further describe
                        the files in the iso9660 filesystem to a UNIX host, and provide information such as long filenames, UID/GID, POSIX permissions, and devices.  It
                        is automatically recognized within the iso9660 filesystem support under Linux.

       JFS       is a journaling filesystem, developed by IBM, that was integrated into Linux in kernel 2.4.24.

       minix     is  the filesystem used in the Minix operating system, the first to run under Linux.  It has a number of shortcomings, including a 64 MB partition size
                 limit, short filenames, and a single timestamp.  It remains useful for floppies and RAM disks.

       msdos     is the filesystem used by DOS, Windows, and some OS/2 computers.  msdos filenames can be no longer than 8 characters, followed by  an  optional  period
                 and 3 character extension.

       ncpfs     is a network filesystem that supports the NCP protocol, used by Novell NetWare.  It was removed from the kernel in 4.17.

                 To use ncpfs, you need special programs, which can be found at ⟨ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/misc/ncpfs⟩.

       nfs       is the network filesystem used to access disks located on remote computers.

       ntfs      is the filesystem native to Microsoft Windows NT, supporting features like ACLs, journaling, encryption, and so on.

       proc      is  a  pseudo  filesystem  which  is used as an interface to kernel data structures rather than reading and interpreting /dev/kmem.  In particular, its
                 files do not take disk space.  See proc(5).

       Reiserfs  is a journaling filesystem, designed by Hans Reiser, that was integrated into Linux in kernel 2.4.1.

       smb       is a network filesystem that supports the SMB protocol, used by Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, and Lan Manager.  See  ⟨https://www.samba.org/samba
                 /smbfs/⟩.

       sysv      is an implementation of the System V/Coherent filesystem for Linux.  It implements all of Xenix FS, System V/386 FS, and Coherent FS.

       umsdos    is  an  extended  DOS  filesystem  used by Linux.  It adds capability for long filenames, UID/GID, POSIX permissions, and special files (devices, named
                 pipes, etc.) under the DOS filesystem, without sacrificing compatibility with DOS.

       tmpfs     is a filesystem whose contents reside in virtual memory.  Since the files on such filesystems typically reside in RAM, file access is  extremely  fast.
                 See tmpfs(5).

       vfat      is an extended FAT filesystem used by Microsoft Windows95 and Windows NT.  vfat adds the capability to use long filenames under the MSDOS filesystem.

       XFS       is a journaling filesystem, developed by SGI, that was integrated into Linux in kernel 2.4.20.

       xiafs     was  designed  and  implemented  to be a stable, safe filesystem by extending the Minix filesystem code.  It provides the basic most requested features
                 without undue complexity.  The xiafs filesystem is no longer actively developed or maintained.  It was removed from the kernel in 2.1.21.

SEE ALSO
       fuse(4), btrfs(5), ext2(5), ext3(5), ext4(5), nfs(5), proc(5), sysfs(5), tmpfs(5), xfs(5), fsck(8), mkfs(8), mount(8)

Linux                                                                          2020-12-21                                                                 FILESYSTEMS(5)