filesystems(5) File Formats 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 It has been completely superseded by the second version of the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 Linux 2.1.21).
ext2 is a disk filesystem that was 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 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
Linux 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 interpret‐
ing /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 2.4.1.
smb is a network filesystem that supports the SMB protocol, used by Windows. 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 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 Linux 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 man-pages 6.03 2022-12-05 filesystems(5)