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Microsoft Wants exFAT in Linux Kernel, Opens File System Specs

posted by takyon on Thursday August 29 2019, @03:16AM   Printer-friendly
from the ten-years-too-late dept.

RandomFactor writes:

Microsoft today announced that it:

is supporting the addition of Microsoft's exFAT technology to the Linux kernel.

Microsoft has published the exFAT file system specification on its Windows Dev Center site.

While the code remains under copyright, Microsoft also stated that the exFAT code incorporated into the Linux kernel will be available under GPLv2.

We also support the eventual inclusion of a Linux kernel with exFAT support in a future revision of the Open Invention Network's Linux System Definition, where, once accepted, the code will benefit from the defensive patent commitments of OIN's 3040+ members and licensees.

It is noteworthy that there is already a free and open source exFAT driver available for FreeBSD and multiple Linux distributions, but it is not an official part of the Linux kernel due to the patent encumbrance of exFAT.

Also at TechCrunch and VentureBeat.

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 29 2019, @04:47AM (8 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 29 2019, @04:47AM (#887172)

    Said FreeBSD's exFAT is borked to the bone: FBSD 12 is unable to read USB sticks formatted on PlayStation 4 while a shiny MacBook has no problems with mounting them. And before you ask why would anyone need that: pictures and video transfer/cut/editing. THIS is why I really need Apple, not because of poor GIMP or something.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 29 2019, @05:13AM (7 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 29 2019, @05:13AM (#887175)

    Sounds like you are confusing need and convenience. Not that you are not allowed to make your life more convenient, but how much do you really need Sony?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 29 2019, @05:44AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 29 2019, @05:44AM (#887182)

      It was originally only VR headset what I wanted, to probe the technology and evaluate if it suits for future terminals. And Sony VR is quite hackable and can be connected to common hardware. Some purchased games are fun, though.

    • (Score: 4, Funny) by c0lo on Thursday August 29 2019, @05:47AM (5 children)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday August 29 2019, @05:47AM (#887183) Journal

      Oy! Don't bash Sony! Not now!!
      Who's gonna code and distribute to a large market segment the next commercially supported rootkit?

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Thursday August 29 2019, @06:56AM (3 children)

        by fido_dogstoyevsky (131) <{axehandle} {at} {gmail.com}> on Thursday August 29 2019, @06:56AM (#887194)

        Oy! Don't bash Sony! Not now!!
        Who's gonna code and distribute to a large market segment the next commercially supported rootkit?

        Commercially? I thought they distributed it as freeware?

        --
        It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.

        • (Score: 4, Touché) by coolgopher on Thursday August 29 2019, @07:07AM (1 child)

          by coolgopher (1157) on Thursday August 29 2019, @07:07AM (#887199)

          No no, you had to pay to get the rootkit. Those who didn't pay for the album(s) did not get the rootkit.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_BMG_copy_protection_rootkit_scandal [wikipedia.org]

          • (Score: 2) by rylyeh on Friday August 30 2019, @02:34AM

            by rylyeh (6726) <kadathNO@SPAMgmail.com> on Friday August 30 2019, @02:34AM (#887610)

            Couldn't you catch that from a public toilet library?

            --
            "a vast crenulate shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of primal Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss."

        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday August 29 2019, @07:28AM

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday August 29 2019, @07:28AM (#887201) Journal

          Distributed as freeware, true. But commercially supported

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 30 2019, @03:52PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 30 2019, @03:52PM (#887794)

        Any modern game?

        Don't they all backdoor the system now to "make sure people don't cheat"

        Good thing the software devs can be trusted so they won't upload your documents