Microsoft Publishes exFAT Specification, Encourages Linux Support

Just last month Microsoft was roped back into the discussion of exFAT support for Linux with an independent user looking to have Samsung's exposed exFAT open-source driver merged. That didn't happen yet, but Microsoft today published the exFAT file-system specifcation and is encouraging support for Linux.

With Microsoft now publicly documenting the exFAT specification and giving its blessing for Linux, it's possible that out-of-tree exFAT driver could soon be merged into the mainline Linux kernel.

Microsoft Distinguished Engineer and Linux Foundation Board Member John Gossman announced their support for exFAT on Linux. He wrote, "Today we’re pleased to announce that Microsoft is supporting the addition of Microsoft’s exFAT technology to the Linux kernel...It’s important to us that the Linux community can make use of exFAT included in the Linux kernel with confidence. To this end, we will be making Microsoft’s technical specification for exFAT publicly available to facilitate development of conformant, interoperable implementations. We also support the eventual inclusion of a Linux kernel with exFAT support in a future revision of the Open Invention Network’s Linux System Definition, where, once accepted, the code will benefit from the defensive patent commitments of OIN’s 3040+ members and licensees."

The exFAT specification can be found via docs.microsoft.com.