Is there a reliable open-source way to read and write non-encrypted APFS drives on Linux?
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MellowCedar42
I use Linux as my main desktop system, currently running CachyOS with KDE and Btrfs, and I also have a MacBook and Mac mini. I have a 1TB NVMe SSD in an ASUS ROG Strix Arion Lite enclosure that I'd like to use with both Linux and macOS. It is currently formatted as exFAT, but I'm wondering whether there is a free and open-source application—preferably with a graphical interface, though a command-line tool is fine—that can reliably read and write non-encrypted APFS volumes from Linux.
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You can look at the Linux APFS read/write project, but treat it as experimental rather than something to trust with your primary copy of files. It may work for testing, but support and stability can vary.
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If cross-platform compatibility is the priority, exFAT is still the practical choice despite its drawbacks. Another possibility is HFS+, since Linux tools for it are more established, but macOS systems can have their own limitations with writable HFS+ volumes. Keep backups regardless of which filesystem you choose.
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There doesn’t appear to be a mature, reliable FOSS solution for full read/write APFS support on Linux. APFS is proprietary, so most Linux support has been developed through reverse engineering and remains limited or experimental. I’d be cautious about using it with important data.
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MellowCedar42: APFS is the default filesystem used by modern macOS devices, so I was hoping there might be a usable Linux tool even if it was command-line based.