mergerfs
mergerfs copied to clipboard
trapexit
Port mergerfs to windows using the WinFSP FUSE driver.
Describe the solution you'd like Having the capability to have a cross platform disc array backed by Snap RAID, With mergerfs handling distributing the data across all drives, and zipping everything together into one vertual volume, would be great for dual boot environments.
Describe alternatives you've considered Drivepool on windows was considered, however It's cross compatibility with mergerfs is Unknown. A hardware RAID card was also considered, but proper RAID cards that you can guarantee will have a replacement that can still read the array In case of hardware failure are expensive, as they are all server grade. Traditional raid also has the issue of full potential data loss should the array go awry.
Additional context There is not really a real stable cross-compatible software RAID like solution for Linux and Windows, other then snap raid. The problem with snap raid is, even though it can mount two file systems in one merged directory structure, It cannot be written to in that state.
ZFS and Btrfs are getting there, but the windows drivers are not considered near production ready. Given that mergerfs is a more relatively simple affair, and that the Winfsp platform and Linux NTFS drivers are mature and stable, If mergerfs could work on both windows and Linux, It may just be the ticket for a cross platform transient software RAID for personal files on a duel boot setup.
Being able to bring the mergerfs / snapraid power combo to Windows would certainly be greatly appreciated, and would create a solution for a cross platform Integrity checked disk array for dual booting.
PS: Although I state, "mergerfs is a more relatively simple affare". I Understand that it may not be easy to do, and rejection of the idea is understood if it's too much work. I'm just saying, relatively speeking, getting other advanced RAID capable file systems, like Zfs or Btrfs, working cross platform and fully stable is a harder challenge.
All things considered, this would be the simpler project capable of arriving at a stable solution, as It is my understanding the stable back ends for linux and windows are already built. Winfsp FUSE platform is stable and utilized by many projects, and has a lot of the groundwork built to support porting linux FUSE file systems, and NTFS has been stable on Linux for years.
As far as I know winfsp provides a compatibility layer to libfuse which mergerfs has not used in some time. First mergerfs would have to be ported to libfuse which would alone would be a bit of work. Then to winfsp.
I already don't have enough time to work on mergerfs and my other projects as much as I'd like. Given it is a hobby project and there is very very little demand for Windows support I don't see it happening any time soon. Dual booting with storage shared is extremely extremely rare. 99.9% of people create/use a NAS.
Drivepool on windows was considered, however It's cross compatibility with mergerfs is Unknown.
Why would there be any issues with such a thing? both technologies by definition exist to NOT impact the normal usage of the underlying filesystems. Your worry should be using NTFS filesystems with mergerfs as NTFS is not POSIX compliant and that could lead to certain awkward situations.
- https://trapexit.github.io/mergerfs/faq/compatibility_and_integration/#what-filesystems-can-be-used-as-branches
- https://trapexit.github.io/mergerfs/faq/usage_and_functionality/
