What are some of the main differences?

Question

What are some of the main differences, if any, in the Linux File system as compared to Windows NTFS? Do you think one is better than the other?

Answer 1

One of the differences in the way permissions are handled. Linux has user,group,other permissions based on read,write,execute built in, while NTFS doesn't have any permissions really "built in".

Both Linux filesystems and NTFS can make use of ACLs (Access Control Lists), this is where most of the NTFS file permissions come from.

Some Linux filesystems don't use a set block size. Ext 2 and Ext 3 have set block sizes (for Ext 3 it is configurable to 1K, 4K, or 8K IIRC), but Reiser and some others don't use set block sizes, allowing you to use more of your hard drive. NTFS block size is set automatically, based on the size of the partition (I think anything above 2GB will use a block size of 4K).

Ext 3, Reiser, and NTFS have a form of journaling, meaning the filesystem keeps track of what file is being copied to where. If the PC dies during a copy, when the PC comes back on, it replays the journal and recopies the file so you don't have a corrupt file. Ext 2 doesn't have journaling and must do an integrity check when it restarts after a PC dies, or it must do it every so often (about one a month). (If that doesn't make sense, do a search for journaling, you can probably find a better explanation that my 5min quickie.)

A list of some Linux filesystems are Ext 2, Ext 3, Reiser, JFS, XFS.

There is a comparison at Wikipedia of filesystems (including some other filesystems):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems

Answer 2

There's more than one Linux file system, so it depends on which you're comparing. The ReiserFS is probably the best in the world. (although Reiser is now facing murder charges, so its fate is uncertain)

Answer 3

Windows is more easily readable. Personal opinion