From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Tue, 2/10/2026 7:20 PM, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:   
   > On Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:57:06 -0500, Paul wrote:   
   >   
   >> That's so how NTFS can be treated like an EXT4, you can switch back   
   >> and forth without having to be aware of what is underneath.   
   >   
   > The Linux kernel (and most userland utilities) have no special place   
   > in their hearts for ext4, or ext3, or NTFS, or any other particular   
   > filesystem. The VFS layer assumes a common set of POSIX-based   
   > semantics, nothing more and nothing less. Anything that can hook into   
   > that will work.   
   >   
   > This is unlike the Windows kernel, where assumptions specific to NTFS   
   > pervade every part of the system.   
   >   
      
   IFS Installable File System (equivalent of FUSE).   
   Possibly used by Dokan/Dokany and the early EXT2IFS package.   
   Etc.   
      
   You can do all sorts of stuff, but you probably shouldn't.   
   Only packages that are popular, and have people who can dig you   
   out, should be installed. For example, someone installs Explorer Patcher   
   and then what do you do when your box tips over. It's OK if   
   you're Kreskin the Mentalist.   
      
   It's the same with any OS, mess around too much... and find out.   
      
   It's even possible, that when ExFAT was added to WinXP via a   
   "simple update install", that this was an IFS rather than   
   a fundamental addition to the core OS. It had a bit of a   
   weird smell to it. They did not add GPT to WinXP, and   
   that's because there wasn't a spigot to bolt it on with.   
   Whereas adding a filesystem was easy. And IFS is the   
   logical answer.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)