Your solutions for filesystem compatible with macosx/windows/linux.

[electric ant]

Hi, I have a 500gb external hard drive and trying to decide what file system i should go with(or how to partition it).
I'll mainly be using macosx, but sometimes windows/linux as well.

• My thoughts are NTFS for the whole drive and use NTFS-3G from mac and linux.

• Another option would be FAT32, but file size limit of 4gb would be a problem with dvd isos and large video projects.

• Third option would be ext3 route but im not overly familiar with Linux so probably out of my league on this option.

• Fourth option, decide how much space I roughly need for backups and split the drive into HFS+ and NTFS partitions.

• Fifth option, go all HFS+ and use macdrive when in windows, but Ive read about problems with filenames and journaling so probably dont want to do this.

• Last option network the drive to an old pc.(somthing to think about later perhaps)

Id be interested to hear everyones setups of how they share files between OSes and which solution they went with.

Thanks.

 

[TheKnat]

I've always used NTFS because Mac handles it better than windows handles HFS

 

[Rambaud]

I went for your 5th option, which seems to work fine most of the time for me.

 

[theheyes]

I always use FAT32. The occasional, and I mean occasional file that is over 4GB I store locally. It depends on your usage.

I originally got the drive to back up my home folder, but obviously it was inevitable that one day it would exceed 4GB. I ended up writing my own backup script to get around the problem (seemed easier than reformatting the drive).

 

[Deanje]

I'd steer away from using NTFS-3G on Linux; I find reading fine, but writing is sketchy at best.

 

[Irish_Tom]

I thought mac couldn't write to NTFS only read?

Would that not cause problems if it was all NTFS? I'm going to be in the same situation soon.

Panzer

 

[electric ant]

I thought mac couldn't write to NTFS only read?

Would that not cause problems if it was all NTFS? I'm going to be in the same situation soon.

Panzer

By default , yep youre right.

To enable writing to NTFS, you need to install MacFuse and then the NTFS-3g driver.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/li...write-ntfs-windows-partition-on-mac-os-x.html

Another method would be to use Parallels or Vmware fusion, to access the drive (someone correct me if im wrong.)

 

[BillytheImpaler]

I'd go the ext3 route. Since it's an open file system it can be better implemented by foreign systems. On Windows use the ext2fs drivers. On the Mac use ext2fsx.

 

[artaxerxes]

I have my Mac as HSF+, and settled my externals on that too.

I use MediaFour's macdrive to make it readable on my PCs, and keep a copy of the demo handy when i need to do a one off reads on someone else's PCs. I have had zero issues with MacDrive, but my use has been light.

Don't use linux so it is not an issue for me, but I think Fuse would be the path here. The next step is an external with ethernet, portable 'network attached storage', readable and writeable from both.

This will all become moot in Leopard possibly, ZFS support, readable and write-able from all 3.

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Since when does Windows support ZFS out of the box? The only working implementation of ZFS in Linux is using FUSE at the moment.

 

[artaxerxes]

Haha, yeah - that is stupid of me.

With the mac, and your linux supporting ZFS, it is less painful to add it to windows, rather than adding a solution to all 3. Though the windows will require something like linux services for windows and then NFS.

I am assuming windows is a small part of the OPs life, as it is in my set up.

OP what will you do with this disk?

 

[Deleted member 651465]

I only ever use Macs so I format my 500GB backup on HFS+ (journaled).

FAT32 is the only real out-of-the-box solution, but not with limitations.

 

[electric ant]

Haha, yeah - that is stupid of me.

With the mac, and your linux supporting ZFS, it is less painful to add it to windows, rather than adding a solution to all 3. Though the windows will require something like linux services for windows and then NFS.

I am assuming windows is a small part of the OPs life, as it is in my set up.

OP what will you do with this disk?

Well mainly itll be for storage of media, music , films etc. Also will use it for backup of my old windows box, and backup of my mac eventually. Ill use windows for gaming via bootcamp. The only dilemma is when i share files with the windows box or with other peoples pcs.

P.S. Anyone know how Time Machine will work? i.e. will the backup be bootable etc..

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Well mainly itll be for storage of media, music , films etc. Also will use it for backup of my old windows box, and backup of my mac eventually. Ill use windows for gaming via bootcamp. The only dilemma is when i share files with the windows box or with other peoples pcs.

P.S. Anyone know how Time Machine will work? i.e. will the backup be bootable etc..

It will do one large backup initially (said to take a few hours), then from then on it only saves the changes made etc (so the backups are v.quick).

I would imagine you could tell it to do a full backup manually, or you could just boot from the master backup it does as it will be a total clone of the hard drive

 

[electric ant]

Thanks for the info EVH, can't wait for Leopard

I found an interesting thread on a solution for accessing NTFS drives
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=351476

Havent tried it out yet, but if youre interested you can dl the beta
http://ntfs-mac.com/