I'm thinking about switching from Windows to Linux for my gaming PC, which also serves as my Plex server. Currently, all my Plex server files are stored on an NTFS drive. If I choose a distribution like Ubuntu, Mint, PopOS, or Bazzite, will these systems be able to read the NTFS drives? Or do I need to transfer my files to a drive that Linux can access?
4 Answers
Linux has no problem reading NTFS drives. If you’re considering a long-term commitment to Linux and don't require Windows compatibility, you might think about moving your files to an ext4 partition for better stability and performance. But honestly, keeping them on NTFS works perfectly fine too!
No issues here! I have two NTFS drives running Plex on my Ubuntu setup, and honestly, it performs better than it did on Windows. Most modern distributions can read and write to NTFS without any hiccups.
Absolutely, Linux can read NTFS! In fact, an updated NTFS driver is on its way in upcoming kernels. Just make sure you back up your media files; you’ve invested time into collecting them. Also, there’s a version of Plex for Linux, but if privacy is a concern, you might want to check out Jellyfin as an alternative. It works great and doesn’t require an account.
I’ve been running Plex with NTFS libraries on both Fedora and previously on Ubuntu. Most recent distributions come with solid support for NTFS. For the best experience on Ubuntu, make sure you set up auto-mount for the partition, and check out a guide to tweak any necessary firewall or permission settings.
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