[SOLVED] How to read linux xfs partition from windows?

[bhadotia]

I tried googling for the answer to the above question and came acroos many tutorials that showed how to install tools on windows so that linux filesystem partitions, such as ext2/3/4 and rieserfs can be accessed from windows. But no tutorial on how to do it with xfs without installing a linux virtual machine on windows. The thing is I use windows only for a few spwcific purposes and have only a 9.5 GB partition (the only NTFS partition on my machine) allocated to it. So that I cannot afford to install a linux virt machine because that would waste valuable disk space and is redundant.
Many articles said that support for xfs on windows was non-existent and many others pointed to a site link (www.crossmeta.com) which has expired. The link they said had windows drivers that enabled xfs r/w support.

So can anyone help me in this regard.

Many thanks in advance.

[Znupi]

You searched the wrong thing . I searched for "ext3 driver windows" and came across http://www.fs-driver.org/ . I've been using it ever since and it works like a treat Good luck!

[philinux]

http://polishlinux.org/linux/ext3-re...ks-to-colinux/

If I were in the same position I'd use ext3 on Linux and use the fs-driver in windows to read it.

[bhadotia]

You searched the wrong thing . I searched for "ext3 driver windows" and came across http://www.fs-driver.org/ . I've been using it ever since and it works like a treat Good luck!

Actually I did searched the right thing. The link you gave contains drivers for the ext2/3 and not xfs. I think I mentioned in the original post also that I had come acroos many such tools and drivers for the ext2/3/4 and rieserfs but none for the xfs.

[bhadotia]

http://polishlinux.org/linux/ext3-re...ks-to-colinux/

If I were in the same position I'd use ext3 on Linux and use the fs-driver in windows to read it.

I have already come across that. I told you that I cannot afford to install a virtual machine on windows.

[philinux]

I think the answer is there is not a way to read xfs from windows.

Unless someone else has an answer.

Could you shrink another partition and give windows just enough to run a vm?

[bhadotia]

I think the answer is there is not a way to read xfs from windows.

Unless someone else has an answer.

Could you shrink another partition and give windows just enough to run a vm?

I could not do that (though I tried). My partitioning scheme does not permit me to do that.
Here is what my fdisk -l gives:

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000837a4

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        1276    10249438+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            5110        9729    37110150   83  Linux
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3            1277        1312      289170   83  Linux
/dev/sda4            1313        5109    30499402+  8e  Linux LVM

I have also attached a screen-shot of the gparted window.
The problem is self evident: I cannot just shrink my /boot which is already some 200 MB.

[philinux]

Ok just get gparted, from the live cd, to shrink your data partition by 1 to 2 gig, whatever a vm needs and expand your windows partition by the same amount.

Backup first and you're good to go.

Or back up your data partition as it's only using 3 gig and reformat to ext3 then problem solved. Unless your mad keen on xfs.

Whats on sda4?

[Znupi]

Is there some specific reason for using xfs instead of ext3? I think the best thing you could do is to reformat /dev/sda2 to ext3 (or /dev/sda4, if you can) and use that. You can do it in two steps to keep your data (resize and create a new ext3 partition, move the data to the new partition, delete the old partition and expand the new one).

[bhadotia]

Ok just get gparted, from the live cd, to shrink your data partition by 1 to 2 gig, whatever a vm needs and expand your windows partition by the same amount.

Backup first and you're good to go.

Or back up your data partition as it's only using 3 gig and reformat to ext3 then problem solved. Unless your mad keen on xfs.

Whats on sda4?

/dev/sda4 is the partiton for the lvm. It contains my logical volumes for the / , /home , and swap.

I was trying to avoid not using xfs (or trying to avoid using est3) because I read somwhere that xfs is the highest performing filesystem around. Well I guess I'll have to copy all my /data to my /home and then reformat it to ext3 and also give some 5 or 6 gigs more to wiindows.
Thanks for the help guys.

I would be interested in your opinions regarding the different filesystems.
Also some guidance on resolving the ownership issues once I have access to the linux partition from windows would be great. I can use google but some practical advice would be good.