Is exFAT a Good Choice for a Dual OS Data Drive between Linux and Windows?
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TechieNerd88
I've recently started using Mint 22.2 as my main operating system, but I'm still on the fence about completely switching from Windows. I have a data drive that I use for backups and want to utilize Timeshift for system backups, but I know it doesn't support NTFS drives. If I format my drive to ext4, it won't be accessible from Windows without third-party software, which I prefer to avoid. From my research, it seems that exFAT is the only file system that both Linux and Windows natively support, but I know it has some limitations compared to newer file systems. Has anyone had experience using exFAT for a data drive between these two operating systems? Are there specific pitfalls or issues I should be aware of? Any alternative suggestions? Thanks!
Answers
exFAT works for general use, but keep in mind it's pretty basic and lacks the advanced features that other filesystems offer. For Timeshift, you might be better off checking which filesystems it fully supports because it’s primarily a Linux tool, and exFAT might not be the best fit for backup snapshots.
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I've been using an exFAT drive for media and documents without any issues. It's an unjournaled filesystem, but that hasn't been a problem for me since I don’t use it for critical backups. Just keep in mind that if you're doing backups on it, there's a risk of data loss during an improper shutdown while writing.
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From my experience, exFAT is great for transferring large files, but it might not be the best for numerous small files as it can waste space. If that's your use case, consider another filesystem.
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If you're switching between Windows and Linux, exFAT is definitely your best bet. It's supported by both systems, so you won't run into compatibility issues.
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BackupBuddy23: Thanks for the insight! I'm planning to use this drive for video, audio, and application setups, along with backups of my boot SSD. I'll make sure to have redundancies since it's crucial.