Chapter 21 File Systems Support

Table of Contents
21.1 Synopsis
21.2 The Z File System (ZFS)
21.3 Linux® Filesystems
Written by Tom Rhodes.

21.1 Synopsis

File systems are an integral part of any operating system. They allow users to upload and store files, provide access to data, and make hard drives useful. Different operating systems differ in their native file system. Traditionally, the native FreeBSD file system has been the Unix File System UFS which has been modernized as UFS2. Since FreeBSD 7.0, the Z File System ZFS is also available as a native file system.

In addition to its native file systems, FreeBSD supports a multitude of other file systems so that data from other operating systems can be accessed locally, such as data stored on locally attached USB storage devices, flash drives, and hard disks. This includes support for the Linux® Extended File System (EXT) and the Microsoft® New Technology File System (NTFS).

There are different levels of FreeBSD support for the various file systems. Some require a kernel module to be loaded and others may require a toolset to be installed. Some non-native file system support is full read-write while others are read-only.

After reading this chapter, you will know:

Before reading this chapter, you should: