Converting filesystems with Fstransform

Chameleon

Article from Issue 142/2012

Author(s): Tim Schürmann

Fstransform converts a filesystem without formatting the media or deleting any files.

Once you opt for a filesystem, it cannot be changed easily – especially if you already have files on it. Massimiliano Ghilardi changed this with the small Fstransform toolkit [1]: One command is all it takes to change the filesystem.

Filesystems are responsible for how files are stored on hard drives. Unfortunately, a number of them currently are out there vying for that right. On Linux, ext4 is currently popular, with Btrfs waiting in the wings as its replacement. Windows uses NTFS, and its ancestor, FAT32, is particularly prevalent on USB sticks.

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