filesystems(5)

✨ NAME ✨

filesystems — bestie, this is the lineup of Linux filesystem types: ext, ext2, ext3, ext4, hpfs, iso9660, JFS, minix, msdos, ncpfs, nfs, ntfs, proc, Reiserfs, smb, sysv, umsdos, vfat, XFS, xiafs 💖

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so picture this: the proc filesystem is mounted on /proc like it always is, right? Then you can just peek at /proc/filesystems and it tells you which filesystems your kernel is currently supporting 👀 more deets in proc(5).

There's also a legacy sysfs(2) system call — and heads up, whether it's even available is controlled by the CONFIG_SYSFS_SYSCALL kernel build configuration option since Linux 3.15 — and that one lets you enumerate the currently available filesystem types regardless of /proc availability and/or sanity. messy but it works 💅

If you need a filesystem that isn't supported rn? Just insert the corresponding kernel module or recompile the kernel. no biggie, only slightly a biggie 😭

And to actually use a filesystem you have to mount it — see mount(2) and mount(8) 🫶

The following list is a short lil description of the available (or historically available) filesystems in the Linux kernel. For a comprehensive description of all options and limitations, go read the kernel documentation, bestie 📚

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• erofs — is the Enhanced Read-Only File System. See erofs(5). ✨
• ext — is an elaborate extension of the minix filesystem. It has been completely superseded by the second version of the extended filesystem (ext2) and has been removed from the kernel (in Linux 2.1.21). it's giving legacy 💀
• ext2 — is a disk filesystem that was used by Linux for fixed disks as well as removable media. The second extended filesystem was designed as an extension of the extended filesystem (ext). See ext2(5). 🎀
• ext3 — is a journaling version of the ext2 filesystem. It is easy to switch back and forth between ext2 and ext3. See ext3(5). lowkey the chillest glow-up 🌸
• ext4 — is a set of upgrades to ext3 including substantial performance and reliability enhancements, plus large increases in volume, file, and directory size limits. See ext4(5). the main character of journaling filesystems fr 👑
• hpfs — is the High Performance Filesystem, used in OS/2. This filesystem is read-only under Linux due to the lack of available documentation. sad but true 😔
• iso9660 — is a CD-ROM filesystem type conforming to the ISO/IEC 9660 standard.
  • High Sierra — Linux supports High Sierra, the precursor to the ISO/IEC 9660 standard for CD-ROM filesystems. It is automatically recognized within the iso9660 filesystem support under Linux. ✨
  • Rock Ridge — Linux also supports the System Use Sharing Protocol records specified by the Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol. They are used to further describe the files in the iso9660 filesystem to a UNIX host, and provide information such as long filenames, UID/GID, POSIX permissions, and devices. It is automatically recognized within the iso9660 filesystem support under Linux. 🦋
• JFS — is a journaling filesystem, developed by IBM, that was integrated into Linux 2.4.24. 💼
• minix — is the filesystem used in the Minix operating system, the first to run under Linux. It has a number of shortcomings, including a 64 MB partition size limit, short filenames, and a single timestamp. It remains useful for floppies and RAM disks. small but iconic 💾
• msdos — is the filesystem used by DOS, Windows, and some OS/2 computers. msdos filenames can be no longer than 8 characters, followed by an optional period and 3 character extension. the original 8.3 vibe 🍓
• ncpfs — is a network filesystem that supports the NCP protocol, used by Novell NetWare. It was removed from the kernel in Linux 4.17. rip 🪦

To use ncpfs, you need special programs, which can be found at ftp://ftp.gwdg.de/pub/linux/misc/ncpfs.

• nfs — is the network filesystem used to access disks located on remote computers. 🌐
• ntfs — is the filesystem native to Microsoft Windows NT, supporting features like ACLs, journaling, encryption, and so on. fancy 💅
• proc — is a pseudo filesystem which is used as an interface to kernel data structures rather than reading and interpreting /dev/kmem. In particular, its files do not take disk space. See proc(5). not me being fake (it's a pseudo filesystem) 🙈
• Reiserfs — is a journaling filesystem, designed by Hans Reiser, that was integrated into Linux 2.4.1. 🎀
• smb — is a network filesystem that supports the SMB protocol, used by Windows. See https://www.samba.org/samba/smbfs/. 🔥
• sysv — is an implementation of the System V/Coherent filesystem for Linux. It implements all of Xenix FS, System V/386 FS, and Coherent FS. 🌈
• umsdos — is an extended DOS filesystem used by Linux. It adds capability for long filenames, UID/GID, POSIX permissions, and special files (devices, named pipes, etc.) under the DOS filesystem, without sacrificing compatibility with DOS. best of both worlds fr fr 🫶
• tmpfs — is a filesystem whose contents reside in virtual memory. Since the files on such filesystems typically reside in RAM, file access is extremely fast. See tmpfs(5). zoom zoom ⚡
• vfat — is an extended FAT filesystem used by Microsoft Windows95 and Windows NT. vfat adds the capability to use long filenames under the MSDOS filesystem. ✨
• XFS — is a journaling filesystem, developed by SGI, that was integrated into Linux 2.4.20. 🔥
• xiafs — was designed and implemented to be a stable, safe filesystem by extending the Minix filesystem code. It provides the basic most requested features without undue complexity. The xiafs filesystem is no longer actively developed or maintained. It was removed from the kernel in Linux 2.1.21. 💀 another one gone, we miss her

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💅 SEE ALSO 💅

fuse(4), btrfs(5), ext2(5), ext3(5), ext4(5), nfs(5), proc(5), sysfs(5), tmpfs(5), xfs(5), fsck(8), mkfs(8), mount(8) 👑

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okay that's the whole page, you ate that 💖 this one came from Linux man-pages 6.20, dated 2026-09-09 — go forth and mount responsibly bestie ✨🎀🦋