Following Torvalds' nudge, Paragon's NTFS driver for Linux is on track for kernel
- Reference: 1627907531
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/08/02/paragon_ntfs_linux_kernel/
- Source link:
The process of submitting a read-write NTFS driver for Linux was initiated by Paragon [1]nearly a year ago , when it ran into complaints that its 27,000 line patch was too big to review.
Paragon resubmitted the code in more manageable chunks, but its less than complete understanding of the Linux kernel development process apparently continued, with Torvalds [2]stepping in last month to point out that it was not enough to post the code to the fsdevel list – at some point the code would actually have to be submitted as a pull request.
[3]
It is too late for version 5.14 of the kernel, for which rc4 has just been released, but potentially could be included in version 5.15.
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[6]A beefy Linux 5.14-rc2 and light at the end of the tunnel for Paragon's NTFS driver
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Paragon has now [8]responded : "Thanks for this clarification... this piece of information has not been really clear for us until now. We've just sent the 27th patch series which fixes to the buildability against current linux-next. And we'll need several days to prepare a proper pull request before sending it to you."
Torvalds welcomed the news, though he seemed just a little wary, considering perhaps the company's lack of familiarity with the Linux development process, in case Paragon was also unfamiliar with the licensing requirements.
[9]
The original overlong Paragon patch was submitted for review in August 2020
"The one other thing I do want when there's big new pieces like this being added is to ask you to make sure that everything is signed-off properly, and that there is no internal confusion about the GPLv2 inside Paragon, and that any legal people etc are all aware of this all and are on board. The last thing we want to see is some 'oops, we didn't mean to do this' brouhaha six months later," Torvalds [10]said .
He also observed that no code would be pulled until the merge window for 5.15 opens, which he said is "about a month away." The merge window opens for just a couple of weeks, with the following six to ten weeks devoted to fixing problems.
[11]
As for 5.14, Torvalds [12]said : "Nothing to see here, entirely normal rc4... mostly a very nice and flat diffstat."
If all goes according to plan, we can expect the Paragon NTFS driver to be in version 5.15 of the kernel for release towards the end of the year. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/18/paragon_tries_to_contribute_ntfs/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/19/5_14_ntfs_linux/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YQgWtZCeJW0mXzoPBVFSzQAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/02/aws_daas_workspaces_web_access/
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/21/windows_linux_privilege_escalation/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/19/5_14_ntfs_linux/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/07/16/steam_deck_portable_gaming_pc/
[8] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/afd62ae457034c3fbc4f2d38408d359d@paragon-software.com/
[9] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/08/18/ntfs-patch.png
[10] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=wjn4W-7ZbHrw08cWy=12DgheFUKLO5YLgG6in5TA5HxqQ@mail.gmail.com/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YQgWtZCeJW0mXzoPBVFSzQAAAEc&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/CAHk-=whv0g5YqoRXc8oxqJX3r+GP1dN3ia_Qg_V6UTjhi8vg8w@mail.gmail.com/T/#u
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
From reg article [1]Paragon 'optimistic' that its NTFS driver will be accepted into the Linux Kernel
Quote: " Linux currently has two NTFS drivers, a FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) driver which is read/write, and a kernel driver which is read-only. It is this latter driver which Paragon intends to replace.
“The need for a new native implementation included with the kernel comes as the current NTFS driver remains practically unmaintained, lacks decent write support and has none of the other advanced features,” Paragon said. Its driver is not only read/write but supports additional features including journal replay, compressed and sparse files, and more. "
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2020/09/08/paragon_ntfs_linux/
Basically it'll come with a massive write performance boost and god knows it needs it the fuse driver is horribly slow, very much looking forward to using this.
What's the use case for NTFS?
If you're not using Windows why would you want it? I used to use the FUSE driver when I had a dual boot machine but haven't had a need for it since. Now, exFAT support is useful.
Re: What's the use case for NTFS?
In my personal use, being able to plug in external disks that move between my partner's Windows laptop and my Linux box. I don't think that's too unusual for big data sets that network (SFTP, etc.) or shares would be cumbersome.
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a station wagon full of tapes hurtling down the highway.
Re: What's the use case for NTFS?
> If you're not using Windows why would you want it?
I know I will be downvoted for admitting it, but the vast majority still uses Windows, and unless you are isolated and only communicating through Internet, NTFS support is necessary for all your shared resources (portable HDs, network shares, etc).
(Now I agree full exFAT support would be great.)
Re: What's the use case for NTFS?
NTFS is in no way needed for network shares, and is unecessary for almost all shared resources.
Re: What's the use case for NTFS?
Portable HDs, yes; but network shares use Samba.
Re: What's the use case for NTFS?
For the most part I do only move data through the internet. I wouldn't quite call that isolation. The only other machines I share physical media with are also Linux so I guess I'm lucky there. I'll just have to accept that enough Linux users need it to make it worthwhile. In the meantime, I'm still wondering if MS will buy out Canonical...
Currently, if you want read/write to an NTFS filesystem you need to either use the very slow FUSE implementaton, or go and find 3rd-party (proprietary) kernel modules and install (and possibly compile) them. Paragon is one of those 3rd-parties who provides an NTFS driver.
This is Paragon open-sourcing and GPL'ing their driver and putting it into the Linux kernel as a standard kernel featureset. Therefore once this is properly incorporated, then out-of-the-box as it were, the Linux Kernel will support read/write to an NTFS filesystem just like any other kernel filesystem driver, i.e. blazing fast compared to the user-space FUSE implementation, and without having to go out and find a 3rd-party driver.
... what this driver brings to the table that we don't already have.
Beat me to it.
Quite so ...
Just why does the Linux kernel need to add ~27K lines of code to the kernel?
Is this really necessary?
To get exactly what in return?
From where I stand, I see absolutely nothing.
It's much too little, far too late and with excess caveats attached.
As far as I know, Linux currently has two NTFS drivers, a FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) driver which is read/write, and a kernel driver which is read-only.
I've managed quite well with that when I have needed to look at/write to the odd HDD with a NTFS filesystem and in 10+ years using Linux, I really cannot remember the last time I accessed a NTFS partition.
Adding 27K lines of code is nothing short of a sure recipe for serious trouble further on.
---------------------------------------------------------------> Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes <---------------------------------------------------------------
O.
About the only real-world use-case (I can think of) is support for mixed environments where you don't want end-users to care what format they selected on their thumbsticks. And that's not something Karen in reception screws up twice.
Now that MS appear to be Linux lovers, why don't they donate the code/fixes - they are supposedly the experts on this?
This may be Paragon trying to get out ahead of MS doing exactly that and rendering Paragon completely irrelevant in the Linux file system space. If they’re the authors of the official in kernel Linux NTFS implementation then third parties will still have a reason to go to Paragon if they want to pay for a custom feature or other optimisation.
Would be nice for a little explanation as to what this driver brings to the table that we don't already have.
Anybody, please?