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I know this was asked and answered last year, but I didn't know if Ubuntu has since then added support for installing an ubuntu OS on an exFat HDD. Anyone know?

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    You can't install a Unix operating system on a file system with no Unix semantic (uid, gid, permissions...). It's a basic fact --- no amount of will will change that. – Rmano Jan 13 '15 at 19:55

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Ubuntu will not be installable on a non-POSIX filesystem. exFat lacks the basic system a Linux system will depend on, like user ID, group ID, mask. If there is a way to install a Linux system on exFat I doubt we could call it a Linux system; it would be something new.

Besides that: exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table) is a Microsoft file system optimized for flash drives. It is proprietary and patented. There is no way anyone related to Linux will want to pay fees for a filesystem if there are alternatives that are not only free but can be altered and improved to our liking.

Rinzwind
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  • Now Ubuntu comes with the tools that give full access to exFAT, which in my experience is the best format for USB sticks used on Windows and Mac too; they all can read and write to it, and it also provides faster copy speed. (That doesn't mean it is a format suited for installing Linux on.) – cipricus Mar 03 '20 at 17:39