Most compatible file system?

Quote from JackElliott

Hi, now that I have re-installed OMV after an ill-considered attempt at installing ExFAT support which totally borked OMV, I'm looking for a file system to use on my travel USB HDD that is compatible with OMV, Linux, Windows, and MacOS. Something that supports long path/filenames and special/extended filename characters. More than 5TB. Hopefully nothing that required third-party payware. Thank you!

OMV is linux under the hood, but OMV takes over control of a lot of the configuration, and as Aaron said, there isn't a single current filesystem that natively works on all systems.

As for the filesystems, Windows and Linux can read and write NTFS, but NTFS does not carry linux permissions. Windows can't use mac or linux native filesystems. MacOS can read NTFS, but not write it, nor can it handle linux filesystems natively. Installing fuse or the like on linux to handle other filesystems, as you discovered can break things, particularly when dealing with customized versions like OMV.

The only semi-reliable solution to have a filesystem usable on all three is to use filesystem plugins/translation drivers on Mac and/or Windows.

Paragon makes several of these that lets windows use mac and linux filesystems or mac use Windows and linux filesystems.

The reason I call them semi-reliable is that they are not natively supported solutions and are relying on a 3rd party "driver" so there is a higher possibility of things not working right compared to a native filesystem.

I do remember reading somewhere about a Mac terminal command that can be used to enable write support for NTFS, but since it isn't officially supported you can't blame apple if things go sideways.

Paragon Software | Main page

Storage and file system management, data safety and disaster recovery for home and business users, IT professionals and OEM providers.

www.paragon-software.com

Quote from JackElliott

Hi, now that I have re-installed OMV after an ill-considered attempt at installing ExFAT support which totally borked OMV, I'm looking for a file system to use on my travel USB HDD that is compatible with OMV, Linux, Windows, and MacOS.

Please do not travel with a USB Disk, use a VPN to your NAS instead, so you can format your disk as Ext4 (Native Filesystem), and use in all world.

In that case please consider do not use USB disk for a NAS, instead use a SATA Disk.

PD: use the GDrive example, you do not need to know what Filesystem Google use, but your files on GDrive are widely available on most platform on all the world.