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Windows on Btrfs

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Re: Windows on Btrfs

#121

Post by csomar »

leoc wrote: post #76
dale_glass wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Such projects have long existed, but I suspect there's a lack of interest. It's a difficult technical problem with a narrow usage niche. You need somebody who wants both Windows an…

Wanting to dual-boot sometimes isn't that rare, surely. And local storage for documents remains popular too. It seems to reflect the reality that serious Linux development effort has been very server-focussed for a long time.

Sure but the Linux audience is certainly not one that pays for such things. Like the Parent Poster explained, this is a hard and niche technical problem. Someone has to foot the bill for this, and apparently there is a "need" for it but no market to sell it.

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#122

Post by pseudostem »

apatheticonion wrote: post #72

Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Surely, given the Linux native file system is open source, adding the ability to mount ext4 partitions natively should be something people can add to Windows? I have seen third party…

I installed Debian on WSL for the very first time a few weeks back. Windows explorer gives access to the Debian folder while it is running and no access otherwise. Had me scratching my head. I don't know much about virtualisation, but if that is the key, they could probably have a highly customised, small Linux kernel running all the time perhaps.

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#123

Post by cobertos »

pseudostem wrote: post #122
apatheticonion wrote: post #72

Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Surely, given the Linux native file system is open source, adding the ability to mount ext4 partitions natively should be something people can add to Windows? I have seen third party…

I installed Debian on WSL for the very first time a few weeks back. Windows explorer gives access to the Debian folder while it is running and no access otherwise. Had me scratching my head. I don't know much about virtualisation, but if that is the key, they could probably have a highly customised, small Linux kernel running all the time perhaps.

WSL uses the 9P protocol for filesystem stuff[1]. There's a 9P server running in Debian and a 9P client running in Windows to connect it together

[1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/9P_(protocol)#Server_applica...

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#124

Post by haileys »

throwaway894345 wrote: post #117
apatheticonion wrote: post #72

Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Surely, given the Linux native file system is open source, adding the ability to mount ext4 partitions natively should be something people can add to Windows? I have seen third party…

Pretty sure there isn’t an ext4 spec, it’s just the reference implementation. Microsoft could build something that is compatible, but keeping compatibility as the reference implementation changes may not be straightforward.

The counterpoint to this is that ext4 can't change dramatically enough to cause problems without breaking compatibility with older kernels or older filesystems.

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#125

Post by redder23 »

Btrfs still has no native encryption right? There is Dislocker that lets you open Windows partions encryption with Bitlocker. I switched from btrfs to zfs because Ubuntu has it naively integrated into the install. There was some issues about it recently about possible removal or some tools because badly maintained though.

So if I want everything encrypted this is not helping me.

Opening LUKS from Windows project is dead I think. But I am fine this way I basically have not booted up Windows up for gaming in months. And this one way sharing with Dislocker is enough for me. I think btrfs and zfs are rather a hasse on personal desktop systems, you just loose lots of space for snapshots you not really need, well I needed them on OpenSuse tumblweed because it was unstable but I since switched to Ubuntu LTS and I do not need them.

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#126

Post by whitemary »

csomar wrote: post #121
leoc wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wanting to dual-boot sometimes isn't that rare, surely. And local storage for documents remains popular too. It seems to reflect the reality that serious Linux development effort has been very server-focussed for a long time.

Sure but the Linux audience is certainly not one that pays for such things. Like the Parent Poster explained, this is a hard and niche technical problem. Someone has to foot the bill for this, and apparently there is a "need" for it but no market to sell it.

The Linux audience is software engineers and the companies they who employ them.

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#127

Post by pajko »

apatheticonion wrote: post #72

Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Surely, given the Linux native file system is open source, adding the ability to mount ext4 partitions natively should be something people can add to Windows? I have seen third party…

Maybe you are looking for https://www.paragon-software.com/home/linuxfs-windows/

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#128

Post by HyperSane »

leoc wrote: post #76
dale_glass wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Such projects have long existed, but I suspect there's a lack of interest. It's a difficult technical problem with a narrow usage niche. You need somebody who wants both Windows an…

Wanting to dual-boot sometimes isn't that rare, surely. And local storage for documents remains popular too. It seems to reflect the reality that serious Linux development effort has been very server-focussed for a long time.

Why would I dual boot when I could use a VM?

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#129

Post by mekster »

throwaway894345 wrote: post #117
apatheticonion wrote: post #72

Related tangent: Something I don't fully understand (perhaps I just haven't found a project that facilitates it) is why there isn't a Windows extension (driver?) that allows for native mounting of ext4 partitions within Windows explorer. Surely, given the Linux native file system is open source, adding the ability to mount ext4 partitions natively should be something people can add to Windows? I have seen third party…

Pretty sure there isn’t an ext4 spec, it’s just the reference implementation. Microsoft could build something that is compatible, but keeping compatibility as the reference implementation changes may not be straightforward.

When could ext4's specification change?

It's not just the MS implementation that might break but everybody's file system may be in danger.

Filesystem is supposed to be as backward compatible as it should be.

Re: Windows on Btrfs

#130

Post by PhilipRoman »

userbinator wrote: post #90
qbasic_forever wrote: post #16

Haha wow that is so ridiculous it's awesome. Seeing both the Linux root and Windows root with Program Files living right next to usr, etc. is _wild_. Very cool hack!

This is what we hoped WSL would be like, but it turned out very, very different.

Can you elaborate? It seems to me that this is exactly how WSL works. \\wsl$\ provides access to the Linux filesystem
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