My MCSE instructor informs me that it is best to use NTFS because that file system allows you to control the permissions of its content, while FAT32 is wide open (you can read everything because there are no restrictive permissions).

Do you agree with this assessment? For Windows only? Linux? Why or why not? I am aware that Linux does not yet support NTFS, but I gather that security is one of its strengths. This doesn't yet make sense to me.

While I have used computer applications for some time, I am pretty much brand new to computer geekdom, but am eager to learn more and learn fast (it's fun). I also am exploring the IT field as a career change choice and am looking for my niche.

Thanks for any insight you can give to my question, or encouragement in my quest for a satisfying career change.

Well I have worked with both linux and windows and NTFS is alot more secure than FAT32, I also have windows 2000 installed on a NTFS filesystem and can access it through Linux, I just cant write to it thats all

Yes, NTFS is much more secure than FATv:

• FAT - the only file permissions FAT has is the ability to make a file read only, however any user may change that flag and therefor anyone with access to the file system has access to any file on that file system
  
• NTFS sets read/write/execute file permissions to users and or user groups (actually NTFS can set more complex permissions than that- but thats basicly it)

The whole thing is that on a FAT file system anyone can access anyfile, where on a NTFS file system permissions can be denyed per user, restricting access to the file system.

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Now those are only Windows file systems, there are literally hundreds of file systems. Native Linux file systems are ext2 or ext3 (usually)- you wouldn't want to install linux on a FAT32 or NTFS filesystem.

And NTFS is supported by linux, but is read only (cannot write to it)- so this is good if you you use a dual boot with Windows (NT, 2000, XP) or mount a windows share.

Ahhhhh. I am beginning to understand. So how does the typical (if there is such a creature) Linux user setup their partitions? If you use Wine or have MS Word files that you view with Open Office or something, do you have to have a FAT32 partition? Do most users install Linux OS in a partition formated in a native Linux file system?

Thanx for insight.

Well there are a couple of ways to set them up: basicly you just need a swap partiton and a native linux partition. However I like to have seperate partitions for /home and /, it make it easier if I decide to install a different distro, or if something happenes to

The only reason to have a FAT32 partition is if you are dual booting with Windows, as I do cause I still need windows for compatibility with the MS VC++ compiliers we use at school.

Yes, however there is a choice of native linux file systems- most use ext2 - but there are four more recently supported file systems ext3, reiserfs, jfs, and xfs. These file systems are generally more reliable than ext2. Personally use ext3.

i think that ntfs isn't secure at all i can access it form linux just fine and read anyfile hidden write protect etc.. linux is a thousnd times more secure and i use xfs beacause its just exessive in performanc and storage (you can have a 9 million terabyte file!!!!and up to 7gb a second!!!)

You are responding to a very old tread. Since that was your first post and probably don't know that bringing up very old treads is quite useless (since the question is already answered) we forgive ya
And as a mattar of fact: Many Linux users (including me ) think that the NT File System is far more superior than most (if not any) Linux FS. But we will have or day one day!

//moderator.note: not Linux security, moved.
Btw, Q- collective please speak for *yourself* and give some compelling reasons why *you* think NTFS is superior to "any Linux FS".

*Q actually searched the inet for a comparison and now sees how much crap he was mumbling.....he remains quiet....

Saying that... I don't know too much about the workings in depth of NTFS or any of the Linux FSs but... using that Explore 2FS tool that allows you to view linux partitions through windows does exactly the same thing as mentioned above.

I can look at, open, copy across any files in linux to my windows partition... just as you can do the same vice versa... and same ole same ole that I cannot edit/delete the linux FS.

regards

Remember, anyone with a linux boot disk and an NTFS driver can read the files. A computer is only as secure as the access you allow to it, regardless of the file system..

as my old computing tutor at college used to say... apart from "rrrrrrright" was that the first line of a computers security is a room with a locked door.

Or something along those lines

Very true.
NTFS was first implemented with windows NT in (?) 1995, and I actually remember reading a press release where microsoft claimed that Windows NT was going to be 'more Unix than Unix'. NTFS permissions were originally based on existing UNIX file systems and the RWX method of assignment. The granularity of NTFS has surpassed what native Linux File systems can acheive, but I prefer the Unix method of assigning permissions for its sheer simplicity.

Security is in the eye of the beholder. No OS (even Linux) is inherently secure without certain measures being taken. Out of the box, Linux may be a bit more locked down, but in the end true security, regardless of the FS used, is up to the user/admin/ that is running it.

slight

The only reasons to use NTFS instead ot FAT32 is:
1 - NTFS is a journalizing file system. It recovers from hard reboots a lot better than FAT32.

2 - In a business enviroment file permissions are a need. You have to be able to make a file read only for one person/group, read/write for another person/group and not accessaible for another person/group. This is where NTFS really shine. slightcrazed might not agree with me here, but the way Windows does file permission is the only thing that I think that Windows really has on Linux. I wish I could add multible groups/users for each file/directory as easily as I can with Windows.