Linux and NTFS - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Chilly McFreeze · 07-28-2009, 02:10 AM

I was planning on installing Ubuntu onto my PC as a second OS, but I remember the last time I did this my friend (who's a real Linux geek) said I should make a FAT32 partition to use to share files between Windows and Linux, as although Linux can read from an NTFS partition, if you try to write to it bad things can happen.

What I want to know is is this still the case, and what are these 'bad things'? Is it just a case of the files you're writing themselves can be corrupted, or is it much worse (ie could my whole Windows partion get messed up?)

Vigilante · 07-28-2009, 06:20 AM

You can mess up the file system. It's better to use the FAT partition, as mentioned.

On the other hand, you can use ext3 drivers for windows. I've used it in the past and it worked well.

SecretMethod70 · 07-28-2009, 09:34 AM

Actually, Linux and NTFS work pretty well together now.

NTFS-3G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ASU2003 · 07-30-2009, 09:45 AM

I think I still have some external hard drives formatted with NTFS that I can read and write to. It the Mac HFS that I can only read.

Fat 32 or NTFS can be used on Linux, Mac and Windows. I'm not sure about ext2 or ext3, but I used that as my sole partition on my Linux laptop.

07-28-2009, 02:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
Chilly McFreeze Insane Location: England	Linux and NTFS I was planning on installing Ubuntu onto my PC as a second OS, but I remember the last time I did this my friend (who's a real Linux geek) said I should make a FAT32 partition to use to share files between Windows and Linux, as although Linux can read from an NTFS partition, if you try to write to it bad things can happen. What I want to know is is this still the case, and what are these 'bad things'? Is it just a case of the files you're writing themselves can be corrupted, or is it much worse (ie could my whole Windows partion get messed up?)

07-28-2009, 06:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
Vigilante Broken Arrow Location: US	You can mess up the file system. It's better to use the FAT partition, as mentioned. On the other hand, you can use ext3 drivers for windows. I've used it in the past and it worked well. __________________ We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -Winston Churchill

07-28-2009, 09:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
SecretMethod70 Human Administrator Location: Chicago	Actually, Linux and NTFS work pretty well together now. NTFS-3G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia __________________ Le temps détruit tout "Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

07-30-2009, 09:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I think I still have some external hard drives formatted with NTFS that I can read and write to. It the Mac HFS that I can only read. Fat 32 or NTFS can be used on Linux, Mac and Windows. I'm not sure about ext2 or ext3, but I used that as my sole partition on my Linux laptop.