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

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

       Below a short description of the available or historically available filesystems in the Linux  kernel.   See  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  It has been completely superseded by the second version of the extended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.

                 To use ncpfs, you need special programs, which can be found at <ftp://linux01.gwdg.de/pub/ncpfs>.

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

       ntfs      replaces  Microsoft  Window's FAT filesystems (VFAT, FAT32).  It has reliability, performance, and space-utilization enhancements
                 plus 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 SystemV/Coherent filesystem for Linux.  It implements all of Xenix FS, SystemV/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.

       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), tmpfs(5), fsck(8), mkfs(8), mount(8)

COLOPHON

       This  page is part of release 4.15 of the Linux man-pages project.  A description of the project, information about reporting bugs, and the
       latest version of this page, can be found at https://www.kernel.org/doc/man-pages/.

Linux                                                               2017-09-15                                                      FILESYSTEMS(5)