Arch Linux

MrAllan

Member

Registered: 2008-12-08

Posts: 132

Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

I got Windows, Linux and Mac OS X on my system. I'd like to share files on a partition that Linux and Mac OS X can access, but not Windows. So far I've used FAT32, but obviously Windows can access that, so I'm looking for something else.
Is there any filesystem that fits these requirements?

Xappe

Member

Registered: 2008-05-17

Posts: 105

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

I guess you could use hfs. Linux has afaik both read and write support for hfs partitions (you may need the hfsprogs package or similar), but not hfs+ (no write support, but you can read them though).

Correct me if i'm wrong.

---

vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere

nowahn

Member

From: elsewhere

Registered: 2008-12-05

Posts: 75

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

try to hide the FAT32 partition, windows doesn't mount hidden partitions, linux still can mount them (I don't know if automount stuffs take care about the 'hidden' flag),  but I don't know if it will be visible from Max OS X.

To hide a partition:
- reboot
- in the GRUB menu, type 'c' to enter the GRUB's command line
- type "hide (hd0,0)" (replacing the partition with your FAT32 partition)
- 'escape' to return to the menu
The hidden status is a flag in the partition table, so the partition will be hidden until you unhide it (with the "unhide" command from the GRUB's command line).

I'm not sure this will do the job, but it is easy to try.

---

take time to daydream, inspiration comes ...

madalu

Member

Registered: 2009-05-05

Posts: 217

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

+1 hfs+

I use this all the time to share stuff between OS X and Linux. You'll just want to be sure that you *don't* format with journaling, or else you won't be able to write to it on your linux machine.

hfsprogs provides tools for repairing and formatting hfs+.

Windows will not be able to recognize an hfs+ disk.

----

Edit: Fixed erroneous claim about HFS based on reading of subsequent posts.

Last edited by madalu (2009-05-24 23:29:59)

Peasantoid

Member

Registered: 2009-04-26

Posts: 928

Website

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

HFS+ works. You just need to disable journaling. (Also, there seem to be problems with tools such as fsck.hfsplus.)

Zeist

Arch Linux f@h Team Member

Registered: 2008-07-04

Posts: 532

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

HFS+ works. You just need to disable journaling. (Also, there seem to be problems with tools such as fsck.hfsplus.)

I thought the only real difference between hfs and hfs+ was journaling.

---

I haven't lost my mind; I have a tape back-up somewhere.
Twitter

MrAllan

Member

Registered: 2008-12-08

Posts: 132

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

But the maximum size of an hfs-partition is 2gigs, which is not enough.

Peasantoid

Member

Registered: 2009-04-26

Posts: 928

Website

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

HFS+ works. You just need to disable journaling. (Also, there seem to be problems with tools such as fsck.hfsplus.)

I thought the only real difference between hfs and hfs+ was journaling.

Nope: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HFS_Plus

Xappe

Member

Registered: 2008-05-17

Posts: 105

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

But the maximum size of an hfs-partition is 2gigs, which is not enough.

What, no, that can't be true. I have a 80 GB hfs partition on my external fw-drive...

---

vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere

Peasantoid

Member

Registered: 2009-04-26

Posts: 928

Website

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

Xappe: I think you're mistaking HFS+ for HFS. (No one uses HFS anymore.)

Xappe

Member

Registered: 2008-05-17

Posts: 105

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

Xappe: I think you're mistaking HFS+ for HFS. (No one uses HFS anymore.)

Hmm, I probably am, but it's kinda confusing though. Well I see now that it automounts as hfsplus, so I guess it's hfs+ without a journal then...

---

vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere

seppo0010

Member

From: Buenos Aires

Registered: 2009-02-14

Posts: 12

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

But the maximum size of an hfs-partition is 2gigs, which is not enough.

What, no, that can't be true. I have a 80 GB hfs partition on my external fw-drive...

The maximum file size is 2GB...

Peasantoid

Member

Registered: 2009-04-26

Posts: 928

Website

Re: Filesystem supported by Mac OS X and Linux

But the maximum size of an hfs-partition is 2gigs, which is not enough.

What, no, that can't be true. I have a 80 GB hfs partition on my external fw-drive...

The maximum file size is 2GB...

You sure about that...?

# Or am I thinking of HFS+ again?
# ^ Yes. Never mind.

Last edited by Peasantoid (2009-05-25 02:29:30)