Mount NTFS partitions

[Mike McCarty]

James Wilkinson wrote:
> Don Bedsole wrote:
> 
>>I read that Fedora does not ship with the software to allow mounting of NTFS 
>>partions (although it is easy to install).  This is because of patent 
>>concerns.  
> 
> 
> Firstly, I am not a lawyer in any jurisdiction. I do not even know where
> you are. So I cannot give you any legal advice. But this is my
> understanding:
> 
> 
>>1. Does anyone know what these patent concerns are?  

[snip]

The patents I'm aware of are three: Two of them relate to the
implementation of LFNs and the third relates to the API used
in Windows for LFN access. Note that these are not specific to
NTFS, but also apply to *all* Windows 9x and even Floppy Discs
with LFNs on them. So I don't understand why these patents
(if they are the ones) would cause concern with NTFS any more
than they do any other FS with LFNs on it. Perhaps NTFS is just
proprietary, and patents don't enter in at all, just trade
secret.

>>3.  Would mounting an NTFS partition allow a Linux user to have access
>>to dlls which would make it easier to run Windows programs under WINE?
> 
> 
> There are other ways to get access to those DLLs, notably using a FAT
> partition. Microsoft DLLs helpfully tend to stick to 8.3-style
> filenames, so you don't even need the long filename support which has
> been under attention recently.

Apropos of DLLs, the "captive NTFS" system uses the actual Microsoft
DLLs (which one must have a legal copy of) to mount/use NTFS partitions.

I happen to have legal copies of those, since my machine is dual-boot
WinXP and Linux. If the OP has such a machine, then I suppose that
using the "captive NTFS" might be an option.

Mike
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