====== What is the NTFS Kernel Driver? ======

The [[NTFS]] Linux kernel driver is the piece of code that allows Linux software to access [[NTFS]] Volumes.

For the status of the driver, check the [[status]] page.

For a preview of what is expected in the future, see the [[driverroadmap|driver's RoadMap]].

Note: The kernel driver is integrated in the Linux kernel. This is not the FUSE module ([[ntfsmount]]). It allows faster file access and is more stable, on the expense of less features. For more details see [[ntfsmount]].

===== Development version of the NTFS driver =====

The NTFS kernel driver is continuously developed.

To get the latest version you could do one of the following:
  * Get the bleeding-edge version from the development [[howto:git]] repository. (not recommended)
  * Get the would-be next stable version from the [[-mm]] kernel tree. (Very recommended for testers. Really not recommended for normal end-users)

===== History of the NTFS driver =====

Martin von Löwis created the original NTFS driver back in 1995. It was added to the Linux kernel in December 1997 (Linux 2.1.74). He has been helped by the following kind souls: Albert Cahalan, Anton Altaparmakov, Damon Casale, David Dillard, Domagoj Pensa, Joseph Malicki, Matthew Fanto, Olof Wolgast, Pawel Kot, Rani Assaf, Régis Duchesne, Richard Russon, Steve Dodd, Werner Seiler.

Starting around the year 2000, [[members:AntonAltaparmakov|Anton Altaparmakov]] started the [[http://www.linux-ntfs.org|Linux-NTFS project]] on [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-ntfs|Sourceforge]] and created the NTFS [[libntfs|library]] and initial user space utilities with help from [[members:RichardRusson|Richard Russon]], Matthew Fanto, [[members:SzabolcsSzakacsits|Szabolcs Szakacsits]], [[members:LodeLeroy|Lode Leroy]], [[members:YuvalFledel|Yuval Fledel]], and [[members:YuraPakhuchiy|Yura Pakhuchiy]].

In 2001, [[members:AntonAltaparmakov|Anton]] started from scratch and created the new NTFS driver. It was added to the Linux kernel in April 2002 (2.5.11). He has been helped by [[members:RichardRusson|Richard Russon]] and [[members|others]].

[[members:AntonAltaparmakov|Anton]] is still the lead developer and maintainer of the new NTFS driver, [[libntfs|library]] and [[ntfsprogs|userspace utilities]].

[[members:PawelKot|Pawel Kot]], with help from [[members:AntonAltaparmakov|Anton]], backported the new NTFS driver to the 2.4.18 Linux kernel in May 2002. This backport is not maintained anymore.