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Filesystems .
FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, APFS, AFFS, HFS and ext .
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Filesytems in comparison: FAT32, exFAT, NTFS, APFS, AFFS, HFS and ext

You’ve probably heard of file systems before, but do you actually know what they do and why they are important? In short: file systems are the invisible organizers of your digital world. They determine how your data is stored and managed on your computer, smartphone or external hard drive.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the four most important file systems: FAT32, exFAT, NTFS and APFS. We’ll also take a look at three historically relevant systems: Amiga Fast File System (AFFS), Hierarchical File System (HFS) and extended filesystem (ext), as well as ISO9660 and Joliet and UDF.

FAT32: The classic

FAT32 is an old hand. It has been an integral part of Windows since 1996 and is also supported by many other devices. The advantage: FAT32 is simple and reliable. It can manage up to 16 terabytes of storage space, which is sufficient for most applications. However, FAT32 also has a decisive disadvantage: the maximum file size is limited to 4 gigabytes. This is not a problem for photos and music, but for large videos or games it can quickly lead to problems.

exFAT: The follow-up

exFAT is the further development of FAT32. It was developed to eliminate the disadvantages of FAT32. exFAT can store significantly larger files, up to 512 terabytes, and it also supports larger storage capacities. Since 2019, exFAT has been supported by all major operating systems, making it the ideal choice for external hard disks and memory cards.

NTFS: The Windows file system

NTFS is the standard file system for Windows. It is very powerful and offers many features that FAT32 and exFAT do not have. For example, NTFS can compress files to save disk space and it also offers built-in encryption. With a theoretical maximum file size of 256 terabytes and a capacity of 16 million terabytes, NTFS is more than sufficient for most applications.

APFS: The Apple star

APFS is the standard file system for macOS. It was developed to improve the speed and reliability of macOS. APFS also supports large files and storage capacities and also offers functions such as compression and encryption.

AFFS: The Amiga file system

AFFS (Amiga Fast File System) was the standard file system for the Amiga computer. It was developed to improve the performance of the original Amiga file system (OFS). AFFS is more efficient and faster because it eliminates redundant information and can transfer blocks of data directly from the host adapter to the final destination. AFFS was introduced with AmigaOS 1.3 and was later integrated into the ROM of AmigaOS 2.0.

HFS: The classic Mac file system

HFS (Hierarchical File System) was the standard file system for Apple’s Macintosh computers. It was introduced in 1985 and replaced the original Macintosh File System (MFS). HFS allowed for a hierarchical file structure, which greatly simplified the organization of files on the computer. HFS was later replaced by HFS+, but it is still used on some older Mac computers.

ext: The Linux file system

ext (extended filesystem) is a family of file systems developed specifically for Linux. There are different versions of ext, including ext2, ext3 and ext4. ext is known for its high performance and reliability. It is used by many Linux distributions as the default file system.

ISO 9660: The CD file system

ISO 9660 is a standard of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that describes a file system for optical data carriers (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc, etc.). The aim of this standard is to support different operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS and Unix systems so that data can be exchanged. ISO 9660 is to be replaced by the Universal Disk Format.

The ISO 9660 standard was published in 1988, based on the High Sierra file system two years earlier. It stipulates that file names in the lowest compatibility level may contain a maximum of eight characters and a three-letter file name extension. At this level, a maximum of eight directory levels are permitted. Multi-extent files are not permitted in the lowest compatibility level, i.e. a file may not exceed 4 GiB – 1 sector. With a sector size of 2 KiB, a file system size of 8 TiB is possible. Only capital letters, numbers and the underscore are permitted as characters for the file names in the lowest compatibility level. All directories must be created in alphabetical order. A CD-ROM that adheres to such strict specifications can be read on almost any computer system.

Standard ISO 9660 Level 2

The ISO 9660 Level 2 standard is less restrictive and allows file names up to 31 characters in length. This was used, for example, by the AMIGA OS, including CDTV and CD32.

ISO 9660-Level 3

Files may be fragmented, i.e. stored as so-called multi-extent files, mainly to enable files ≥ 4 GB as well as packet writing or incremental CD writing.

Joliet and Rockridge

The Joliet format is not an extension of the ISO-9660 standard, but a separate file system that is typically created as a hybrid. The Rockridge extensions add Unix-specific file properties to the standard by using an extension method provided in the ISO-9660 standard to add directory entries. Since Joliet creates a separate file tree on the medium, it can be created in addition to Rockridge. Unlike Rockridge, Joliet has no connection between the file names in the ISO-9660 tree.

HFS combined with ISO 9660

No extensions are actually required for older Mac OS versions because the ISO 9660 standard with the Associated Files already contains a direct mapping of the Apple resource fork, even at the lowest compatibility level. Nevertheless, ISO 9660 was often created in combination with an HFS system. Both systems share the file data but each have their own metadata. However, as HFS has a 2 GB file size limit, HFS has recently been superseded by other extensions.

Source: Wikipedia
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_9660

How does a file system work?

Think of a file system as a book with many chapters. Each chapter contains a specific part of your data. To help the computer find its way around, it looks for the table of contents (TOC) by default. This table of contents then refers to the corresponding data area, i.e. the correct chapter in the book.

If you delete files and insert new ones, the following happens: First, the free area on the hard disk is filled. If this area is between two existing files, a free area on the hard disk is then used. The table of contents is then directed to the appropriate locations.

The data on a hard disk

A hard disk consists of several platters that rotate. Tracks are arranged concentrically on each disk, like rings on a tree trunk. Each track is divided into sectors, which look like small pieces of a pizza. Each sector can store a certain number of bytes, usually 512 bytes. The data is stored in the form of 0 and 1 information, i.e. as binary code.

Data on CD, DVD and BluRay

The information on a CD, DVD or BluRay is arranged on a track that spirals outwards and occupies a maximum of 85% of the total surface area. This track is read by a laser, which analyzes the reflected light beams and thus decodes the stored data.

Data on SSDs and USB sticks

With SSDs and USB sticks, the memory chips are first addressed by the controller and form a unit there. There is then also a table of contents and a data area. SSDs and USB sticks cannot be defragmented. They can be accessed much faster than data carriers that rely on mechanical systems such as floppy disks, hard disks or CD drives. Power consumption is lower as there are no motors at work.

Summary of the file systems

The following file systems were or are primarily used on hard disks. They are categorized according to the primary target operating system:

Amiga

FFS (Amiga Fast File System): File system under AmigaOS from version 1.3 (not to be confused with Berkeley FFS)
IceFS – optional freeware file system for MorphOS
JXFS: File system under AmigaOS from version 4.1
OFS (Old/Original File System): used with AmigaOS up to and including version 1.3, originally Amiga File System
PFS (Professional File System): AmigaOS file system – Atomic storage type
SFS (Smart File System): Can be used from AmigaOS 3.x, standard file system under MorphOS

Apple

Apple DOS: disk-based file system for the Apple II
Apple SOS: Further development of Apple DOS for the Apple III, for floppy disks (5.25″ and 3.5″) and hard disks (Apple ProFile 5 MB and 10 MB)
Apple ProDOS: File system of the late Apple II models (Apple IIe and Apple IIgs), file system compatible with Apple SOS
MFS (Macintosh File System): hierarchy-less file system with Macintosh-specific properties, on early Macintosh models (Macintosh 128 and Macintosh 512)
HFS (Hierarchical File System): hierarchical file system with Macintosh-specific properties, on Macintosh models from 1986 (Macintosh Plus and higher)
HFS+: further developed variant of HFS with journaling and more generous restrictions for file sizes, volume sizes etc., standard under Mac OS 8.1 to macOS 10.12
HFSX: Variant of HFS+ with distinction between upper and lower case letters, standard up to iOS 10.2
APFS (Apple File System): Successor to HFS+, standard since iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.13 (only with macOS 10.14 also on Fusion Drive)

RiscOS and Acorn

DFS (Disc Filing System): hierarchy-free disk file system from Acorn (not to be confused with Microsoft DFS)
ADFS (Advanced Disc Filing System): advanced variant of DFS with hierarchy and fragmentation, under RISC OS

Haiku and BeOS

BFS (Be File System): Standard file system under BeOS
OpenBFS (Open Be File System): advanced variant of BFS, associative journaling file system

Linux

bcachefs: Copy-on-write file system, which offers the option of creating snapshots and provides compression and encryption, among other things
btrfs (Btree File System) – a so-called copy-on-write file system originally developed with Linux, which offers the possibility of creating so-called snapshots
EcryptFS (Enterprise Cryptographic Filesystem) – an encrypting file system with support in the Linux kernel
EncFS (Encrypted File System) – an encrypted userland file system based on FUSE
ext (Extended File System) – file system developed with the Linux kernel
ext – further developed variant of the minix file system
ext2 (Second Extended File System) – further developed variant of ext with extended limits; was the standard file system under Linux for a long time
ext3 (Third Extended File System) – further developed variant of ext2 with journaling
ext3cow (Third Extended File System with Copy-On-Write) – further developed variant of ext3 with copy-on-write functionality
Next3 – file system based on ext3, which offers the possibility of creating so-called snapshots
ext4 (Fourth Extended File System) – further developed variant of ext3, including with extended limits; is backwards compatible and completely replaces ext2/3
FTPFS – a kernel module based on FTP; was replaced around 2005 by LUFS/FUSE or CurlFtpFS
JFS – Linux port of the Enhanced Journaled Filesystem (JFS2) from IBM
NILFS (New Implementation of a Log-structured File System) – a logging file system from NTT
NILFS2 – further developed variant of NILFS
OrangeFS – a distributed (or parallel) file system based on the Parallel Virtual File System
ReiserFS – a journaling file system from Namesys
Reiser4 – a journaling file system with efficient storage and plugin support, from Namesys
Tux3 – a versioning file system

Microsoft

FAT12: early file system of the FAT (File Allocation Table) file system family under ROM-BASIC and MS-DOS, still commonly used today for floppy disks (supported by almost every operating system)
FAT16: newer variant in the FAT file system family with extended limits compared to FAT12 (supported by almost every operating system)
FAT32: newer variant of the FAT file system family with extended limits compared to FAT16, from Windows 95b or Windows 2000 (supported by newer operating systems)
exFAT: for use on flash drives

Source: Wikipedia , Liste von Dateisystemen / List of file systems :
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_von_Dateisystemen

Which file system is right for you?

Choosing the right file system depends on your needs. If you are a Windows user, NTFS is the best choice. If you are a macOS user, APFS is the best choice. If you want to use an external hard disk or memory card that will be supported by different operating systems, exFAT is the best choice. If you are an Amiga user, AFFS is the right file system for you. For older Mac computers, HFS is relevant. For Linux users, ext is the best choice.

Conclusion on file systems

File systems are an important part of our digital world. They determine how our data is stored and managed. Choosing the right file system depends on your needs. With this article, you now have a better understanding of the different file systems and can make the right choice for your needs.

What do you think? Which file system do you use most often? Share your experiences in the comments!

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