Linux File system for storage drives in Linux does it matter

[Mechh69]

I have searched for the on the Ubuntu one forum and can not find a definite answer. Does it matter if I format my storage disc as NFTS or Ext4 in Linux? I am testing out Amahi and Grey hole and I am not sure if I want to stick with it or switch back to windows server 2003 or 2008R2 or possibly 2012. So I may swap from Linux to Windows and I want to ensure that what ever file system I use is compatible with both OS with out issues. So which one and why or why not.

Thanks
Mechh69

[Margon]

I dont "think" that windows supports Ext4 - i'm fairly sure it's a linux file system.

[tehBoris]

If you want to easily switch between Windows and Linux NTFS is really the only choice. NTFS support in Linux is good now, it used to suck. EXT4 simply isn't ever going to work on Windows in a way that isn't highly arcane.

[Mechh69]

Thank you both very much for your replies. I appreciate your quick and decisive responses.

[WTF_Shelley]

If its going to be a linux server where the only way a windows box is going to get the data through file sharing SMB or FTP then use a native linux filesystem, the processor over head of using NTFS in li8nux is massive and speeds are slow. if your using multiple disks and want a growing solution like DROBO then use ZFS on bsd, or if just use ext4

[Mechh69]

It is a Linux server at the moment I am trying it out to see if I like it over windows but I'm not sure if i want to stick with it or go back to windows, that's was why I was asking.

[Cleggmeister]

All the drives in my N40L (Debian OpenMediaVault) are running EXT4. I can access them no worries via SMB from Windows 7. I was surprised that you seem to lose a little more when partitioning them in this format (a WD Caviar Green 2TB gave me 1.79TB useable storage), though that may just be par for the course.

[tehBoris]

Originally Posted by Cleggmeister

All the drives in my N40L (Debian OpenMediaVault) are running EXT4. I can access them no worries via SMB from Windows 7. I was surprised that you seem to lose a little more when partitioning them in this format (a WD Caviar Green 2TB gave me 1.79TB useable storage), though that may just be par for the course.

There is the whole Tibibyte and Terabyte issue which will explain the 'loss' of space in this instance.

You may also wish to be aware that when it comes down to making a partition that is larger than 2TB you need to use the GPT disk schema. Fortunately this is a universal standard so Windows and Linux still work with it.
Some Linux distributions would like you to use LVM by default which is incompatible with Windows but it's much more powerful (and complicated). Windows has it's own implementation of LVM but it's completely different to Linux's.