[SOLVED] Easy file sharing question

[JMCC]

Hi

I am converting from windows to linux and would like to know what is the best way to transfer my data from my current install to my new linux OpenSUSE 11.2 install.

Should I leave a NTFS partition on the HDD or should I copy all my data onto my external and then back onto Internal after the format?

I would appreciate any tips regarding this matter.

Jay

[linuxforever]

It would be wise to leave a ntfs partition as it is, with all your windows data.
You can access them from your linux installation.
If they are speadsheet data you can access them from open office.
And if they are database, or wordprocessor, exactly the same.
Open them and save them with a new name.
Exactly the same with multimedia files like jpeg or mpeg or avi.
You can open them with the apropriate linux program.
But you can also copy the files from the ntfs partition tot a linux partition.

Just keep the ntfs partition as a kind of back-up.
You can delete it if you don't need it no longer.
So you don't need to temporarily store them on an external drive.
But if you wish so, you can also do that.

So linux will open any file from the ntfs partition and can access it.
Just watch out that the ntfs partition isn't formatted during install.

[Jonathan183]

I suggest you backup data to the external drive before you start changing partition information on the hard drive.

If you are dual booting then I suggest you keep data on an ntfs partition so that it can be shared with Windows.

If you are going for Linux only then I suggest you get rid of the ntfs partition, although Linux is able to support ntfs partition read/write access using ntfs-3g you are better off using a Linux formatted partition. There are some errors which can be introduced to an ntfs partition which you need Windows to fix!

[linuxforever]

Well, normally file sharing concerns sharing between machines on a local network.
On one machine you dont' need to share anything with a windows partition.
In linux you can always access any ntfs partition on any HDD without any problem.

If you use a dual boot with windows on one machine linux will always see any windows partition.
On the other hand, windows wil not see any linux partition.
Unless you install an ext2/3 file-driver in windows.
This is either Ext2Ifs or ext2fsd.
I noticed that on opensuse 11.x Ext2Ifs didn't work.
This because 11.x uses inode 256 instead of 128 bytes.
But ext2fsd did fine on 11.x.
You can find it on Ext2 File System Driver for Windows | Get Ext2 File System Driver for Windows at SourceForge.net
In this way you have full access to linux partitions in a dual windows/linux boot.
If you want it!

[JMCC]

Thank you all for the great responses.

I am not going to dual boot, I will only be running SUSE 11.2

So its better to back everything up and then using ntfs-3g to copy all the file from my windows formatted external HDD to the new linux install?


Thanks

[linuxforever]

Yes, If you feel better, you can always back-up your files on the external.
After the linux install, linux will see any ntfs (or fat) windows partition.
I have had many times over many years linux and ntfs partitions on one HDD.
And never experienced any errors or difficulties.

But it depends upon how many HDDs and partitions you have.
So how much space you have available, and you will need.

[previso]

Since you are keeping only data, not applications or OS, it will take less room to copy the data and then delete the M$ partition. And then install Linux.
WARNING! Newer distributions use ext4 as the default filesystem which is not accesible from Windows. Better to choose ext3 as the filesystem during installation.

[gogalthorp]

Since you are keeping only data, not applications or OS, it will take less room to copy the data and then delete the M$ partition. And then install Linux.
WARNING! Newer distributions use ext4 as the default filesystem which is not accesible from Windows. Better to choose ext3 as the filesystem during installation.

Only if you need Windows to access the partitions.

ext4 is much better then ext3 overall.

[previso]

"Only if". When not? Until there's a driver for ext4, there's no point in killing your access options with ext4. There's a ZFS, very sophisticated, but does it make sense to lock up your data in it?

[gogalthorp]

Only if you are dual booting otherwise it is the network which does not care what the FS is. And even if dual booting you still have access from the linux side. It is just Windows that is crippled.