Hello All,

Are you currently using FS-Driver to read/write to an ext3 partition?

Have you done this for any extended period of time? Have you survived a crash, or lost data? What about performance?

I've searched several forums but have not found posts that comment on the performance or reliability of this driver. Most posts just say this 'exists', but little else.

I have a dual-boot, dual HD, WinXP and Ubuntu system and wish to have a -big- partition where I can store large temporary files generated by either OS, so FAT32 will not work.

For WinXP, I have a periodic backup application that makes huge compressed images of critical information in my main Hard Disk to the 2nd Hard Drive. I also save huge video capture files. I eventually delete video captures, but only after I'm done editing and burning to DVD.

Over in Ubuntu Linux, I'm regularly downloading stuff, including DVD ISO images of distros and what have you, which are >4Gb. As long as I don't need the space for something else, I leave these downloaded files on my HD to share over BitTorrent. If both XP and Ubuntu have access to these, then it's possible to setup BitTorrent such that the same file can be shared when either OS is running.

On the positive side, formatting this partition as ext3 and installing the FS-Driver for WindowsXP access allows me the flexibility to reallocate this space as I please without having to mess with resizing two separate partitions (i.e. if the HD backup application runs out of space, I'll just delete some of the Linux downloads to make room...if I'm running Linux and run out of space I can just delete stuff to make room).

The potential gotcha I see is I'll be relying on FS-Driver to backup critical data onto an ext3 partition. I don't want to find out this was a bad idea after a system crash. Also, video editing and playback is speed-sensitive, so I'm concerned about the FS-Driver adding a speed penalty to hard drive throughput.

Thanks in advance for your inputs!

Hi!
I tried it out, but the experience I made was not exactly the best of my life. As long as Windows got properly shut down, there never was a problem. But one time, while on XP with my ext3 partitions mounted, the system crashed, and I was unable to shut down - I had to turn of the computer the hard way, by simply pressing the power switch. I was having trouble to boot Linux after that - I got a message that the partition (the one that was mounted in Windows) contained errors that couldn't be fixed. I solved it in the end by booting Knoppix an running fsck on the said partition, but it still made me nervous, and since then I've become very careful with accessing my ext3 partitions from Windows.
And I never tried to write to the Linux partitions from Windows, so I don't know how well (or not) this works.
Cheers

I've tried it, but not for any length of time - because I keep changing distro's (think I'll settle for Slack). One thing did occur to me - it undermines Linux security, anyone gaining access to your Windows will have equal access to your Linux, to interfere without root login.
When I had it on last time. my AVG Free anti-virus ran a complete scan and included F:\, which was then Ubuntu 6.06 LTS.

But anyone who has physical access to your computer can access your files, all they need is a LiveCD.

Yes, FS-Driver is a backdoor entry. There's quite a bit of disclaimers to this effect in the website's FAQ.

I believe the risk of remote intrusion is also inherent in XP/Linux dual-boot systems. As long as you've got XP and use the weaker one regularly you run a greater risk of being hacked than Linux-only...only thing to do (short of ditching XP) is mitigate, mitigate, mitigate.

Don't think I'll bother installing it this time, very rarely used it last time I was dual-booting.