In the world of Linux, one of the perennial technical hurdles for dual-boot users has always been filesystem interoperability—specifically, reading and writing to Windows NTFS partitions. Now, a new and exciting solution is on the horizon: the NTFSplus Linux driver has been proposed, promising to radically improve performance and stability. This news, which made waves across tech portals this week, could signal the end of compromises for users who regularly switch between Windows and Linux or share data partitions.
For years, we’ve relied on solutions that were either slow (the old ntfs-3g driver running in user-space or FUSE) or technically complex and lacking in tools (the current ntfs3 driver). The arrival of ntfs3 in the Linux 5.15 kernel was a massive step forward, but it hasn’t been without its own set of challenges. The proposal for the NTFSplus Linux driver doesn’t just bring minor fixes; it’s a re-architected approach, using modern Linux kernel technologies to achieve far superior results. If this driver gets merged, it will be a game-changer for anyone with an NTFS partition on their drive.
The new Linux NTFS driver: What is NTFSplus?
This new Linux NTFS driver is not just an update but a near-total rewrite. It was proposed by esteemed kernel developer and filesystem expert Namjae Jeon, who has a history of contributing filesystem improvements, including for exFAT. His involvement gives the project immediate credibility and weight.
Interestingly, NTFSplus is not based on the current ntfs3 driver, which was contributed by Paragon Software. Instead, Jeon’s approach is based on the older, classic NTFS read-only driver within the kernel but has been completely overhauled and modernized with full write support and new kernel features. This approach is intended to provide a cleaner, more maintainable codebase that aligns better with current Linux kernel development trends.
The goal is clear: to provide full read/write support that is faster, more stable, and, critically, easier for the community to maintain long-term. The proposal also includes support for features that were missing or poorly implemented in ntfs3.
The Big Question: NTFS3 vs NTFSplus
To understand why NTFSplus is so significant, we first have to look at the current situation, which is the NTFS3 vs NTFSplus comparison. When Paragon’s ntfs3 driver was merged into kernel 5.15, it was a massive relief. We finally had in-kernel NTFS write support, which was drastically faster than the old ntfs-3g (FUSE) solution.
However, ntfs3 was not without its problems. Its codebase is large and complex, which some kernel developers found difficult to review and maintain. More importantly, ntfs3 did not include proper user-space utilities, such as fsck.ntfs for checking and repairing the filesystem. Its support for NTFS journaling was also considered incomplete.
This is where the NTFSplus Linux driver steps in, addressing these issues on multiple fronts.
Modern Kernel Architecture: iomap, Folios, and No Buffer-Heads
The main technical advantage of the NTFSplus driver is its use of modern Linux kernel mechanisms. Instead of the legacy “buffer-heads” mechanism, which ntfs3 uses, the new driver implements iomap. This is the kernel’s modern interface for handling I/O operations, which reduces complexity, improves performance, and is the standard for newer filesystems.
Furthermore, NTFSplus uses “folios,” another modern kernel optimization. Instead of managing memory in small, 4K “pages,” folios allow the kernel to manage larger, contiguous blocks of memory. When transferring large files (like movies, backups, or virtual disk images), this drastically reduces overhead and increases data throughput. These are architectural decisions that have a direct, positive impact on the speed the end-user will experience.
Impressive Performance Benchmarks
This isn’t just theoretical. The initial performance benchmarks presented by Namjae Jeon show impressive results in the NTFS3 vs NTFSplus showdown. While read speeds are similar (an area where ntfs3 was already fast), the differences in write performance are stark.
According to reporting from Phoronix, early tests show NTFSplus is roughly 3-5% faster in single-threaded writes. But the real difference appears in multi-threaded writes, where NTFSplus delivered between 35% and 110% better performance than ntfs3. This is a massive improvement for modern multi-core CPUs.
Mount time is also dramatically improved. Reports state that mounting a 4TB NTFS partition with NTFSplus takes less than a second, whereas ntfs3 required over four seconds for the same task. That’s a difference every dual-boot user will feel every time they boot their Linux system.
Utilities and Long-Term Support
One of the biggest wins for the NTFSplus Linux driver isn’t just in the kernel, but outside it. The project also includes a companion set of user-space utilities called ntfsprogs-plus. This means we will finally get proper maintenance tools like fsck.ntfs (for checking and repairing disk errors) and mkfs.ntfs (for creating new partitions). This was a major shortcoming of the ntfs3 driver, which relied on separate and often incompatible tools from the ntfs-3g project.
Additionally, NTFSplus plans to support full journaling, which will further increase the filesystem’s resilience against data loss in a crash or sudden power-off.
How and When Can You Get the NTFSplus Linux driver?
Before you get too excited and start checking for a system update, it’s important to understand where the NTFSplus Linux driver currently stands. It is a proposal in the form of a patch series that has been submitted to the official LINUX KERNEL MAILING LIST (LKML).
This means the review process has just begun. Other kernel developers, including Linus Torvalds, will need to review the code, provide feedback, and decide if it’s ready for inclusion. This is a rigorous process that ensures the kernel’s stability.
If the review process is successful, the NTFSplus Linux driver could be merged into a future kernel release, perhaps Linux 6.18 or 6.19, which are due in the coming months. After that, it will take a bit more time for distributions like Fedora, Arch, and Ubuntu to adopt that new kernel and deliver it to users.
Nonetheless, this is extremely significant news. This isn’t a random project on GitHub; it’s a serious, professional effort by a respected developer to solve a long-standing problem. The fact that this new Linux NTFS driver is built on modern foundations and includes proper tooling gives strong hope that Linux will soon have first-class, high-performance support for the NTFS filesystem.
What do you think of this news? Is better NTFS support in Linux important for your workflow? Share your experiences with dual-booting and the ntfs3 driver in the comments below!
Disclaimer: This article reports on software that is currently in a proposed, developmental state. Features and release schedules are subject to change. Always back up your critical data before testing experimental drivers or manipulating filesystems. All actions are performed at your own risk.