Shield --> Linux: which file system to use

[kelson]

I've recently migrated my CDVR server from a Shield Pro to Linux. While on the Shield, the DVR Database was located on a 1TB USB-SSD formatted as NTFS. For the migration to Linux I simply plugged that SSD into the Linux box. So right now CDVR server is running under linux with an NTFS formatted database drive for all the recordings.

So the question:
NTFS is not native to Linux and not optimal for Linux. Should I transfer the DVR Database to an Ext 4 formatted SSD or just leave it alone as NTFS.

[jasonmcroy]

I asked a similar question not too long ago - my drives are internal, but an external drive shouldn't be much different in operation. Here was the dev's response:

Linux Mint and NTFS file system

I have been reading some things about using Linux Mint and having any data drives attached (external or internal) that are using the NTFS file system. I see that it will work but it isn't the recommended one of course unless you're attaching external drives that you move between a Linux and Windows computer. Mine are internal drives that already exist on my Windows 11 computer. I am considering putting Linux Mint on my server computer but I don't want to have to re-format my 5 existing internal…

[kelson]

Thanks for the response. With my current setup there is no chance that I would be moving it back to the Shield, so I don't have to keep it as NTFS. I just want to make sure it won't screw up running under NTFS for a long while until I get the inclination to make the switch to Ext 4.

As to your server, I don't know what you did in the year since your original post but I understand your hesitancy to convert the drives. I have a Media server with 18 HDD's that ran under Win-10 that I converted to Ubuntu a while ago. All the linux guru's I talked to said bite the bullet and convert from NTFS to a linux file system. So I did. Fortunately none of the drives were more than 60% full. It is a brute force process: format a HDD to Ext 4 then copy over all the files from one of the NTFS HDD's; then format that NTFS HDD to Ext 4 and start the process all over.

[jasonmcroy]

I have thought about doing the change over to ext4 drives and had the same thought of how to go about it. I have one drive on the machine that is empty and formatted already to ext4. I haven't wanted to do that whole move, but I am thinking about it.

Since my last post, the only change I have made is that I also switched over to Ubuntu, so sounds similar to your setup.