Mastering Linux Kernel Development

Ext family filesystems

The initial release of the Linux kernel used MINIX as the default native filesystem, which was designed for use in the Minix kernel for educational purposes and hence had many usage limitations. As the kernel matured, kernel developers built a new native filesystem for disk management called the extended filesystem. The design of ext was heavily influenced by the standard Unix filesystem UFS. Due to various implementation limitations and lack of efficiency, the original ext was short lived and was soon replaced by an improved, stable, and efficient version named second extended filesystem (Ext2). The Ext2 filesystem continued to be the default native filesystem for quite a long period of time (until 2001, with the 2.4.15 ...