this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2025
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Fun fact, though: Linux is the only case-sensitive one.
Edit: I feel silly for forgetting that it's all about the choice of FS. If anyone needs anything from me, I'll be in the corner, coloring.
From a technical standpoint, the windows NTFS filesystem is designed inherently case sensitive, just windows doesn't allow creating case sensitive files.
Connecting an NTFS drive to linux, you can create two separate files readme.txt and Readme.txt.
Using windows, you can see both files in the filesystem, but chances are most (if not all) software will struggle accessing both files, opening readme.txt might instead open Readme.txt or vice versa.
Such a microsoft thing to do.
NTFS was designed back in the mid 90s, when the plan was to have the single NT kernel with different subsystems on top of it, some of those layers (i.e. POSIX) needed case sensitivity while others (Win32 and OS/2) didn't.
It only looks odd because the sole remaining subsystem in use (Win32) barely makes use of any of the kernel features, like they're only just now enabling long file paths.
For a few years now, Windows has had the capability of marking certain directories as case-sensitive. So you can have a mixed-case-sensitivity filesystem experience now. Yeah. :/
You're correct. I once was trying to rename a file in Windows in a git repository that had a wrong capitalization. It was tricky.
Although you can use case insensitive filesystems with Linux, and case sensitive filesystems with macOS. I believe the case sensitivity is a function of the specific filesystem
but yeah, practically, the root for Linux is always case sensitive, and APFS ~~ain't~~ is only if you ask it to be ( https://support.apple.com/lv-lv/guide/disk-utility/dsku19ed921c/mac ).
When case insensitivity is the default I always wonder how many apps unknowingly rely on that due to typos somewhere. I encountered this once while porting a Windows/macOS app to Linux that someone imported a module with the wrong case and nobody noticed
The source engine does not handle case sensitivity when loading assets from disk. On windows it's not an issue but on Linux it will silently fail to load assets if the case doesn't match. I lost so many hours trying to fix some weapon animation that had 0 seconds run time when porting a mod dedicated server to Linux.
VS Codium did that at some point, it probably still does but I haven't checked
I once ran into a bug in an Arduino program where it wouldn't compile. The author blamed my "broken environment". Turned out, he had included "arduino.h" instead of the correct "Arduino.h".
As is right and proper.
But why? What is the point?
That you can give 2 different files the same name? Because that would confuse the hell out of every regular user. Especially if you work on a network share and have an entire directory full of same named files because everyone and their grandma throws their files in there.
It is almost as bad as Case Sensitive Usernames and email.
Least favorite part of linux honestly
Case-insensitive filesystems are for maniacs. They are only causing trouble. Ever had two folders with the same name but different capitalization in windows? You see both, but whichever you click it will always open the same one, while the other can't be accessed. Psychopath behavior.
In my decades of IT work I have literally never seen this to be an issue. To myself or others.
Your username is 3 words. At a quick glance maybe they are 3 directories. I guess I have to use another command to find out.
You okay?
That's because NTFS isn't case-insensitive. If it was there'd be no two folders. Windows is a case-insensitive operating system running on a case-sensitive file system. It's pretty clear Microsoft wanted case sensitivity and then realised how much legacy software that'd break.
Makes changing the case of a file/folder a lot easier though. Windows you have to rename it to something else then rename it again just to change case but Linux you can just...rename it. It's a small thing but it's something
is this bug really impossible to fix just because the file system is case insensitive?
Hard disagree. I don't understand why anyone would want case insensitive.
Am I the only one who doesn't go around mindlessly capitalizing letters? Do people find it too difficult to capitalize things?
Do you want case insensitive passwords too?
If I type X I mean X and only X. Uppercase letters are different letters, just like X and Y are different letters.
Passwords ≠ Filesystems
It's less about me randomly capitalizing letters and more about me not remembering whether or not what I'm looking for had capitals or not.
No, they're different glyphs, they'd still be alphabetized the same way as X and x are the same letter
You okay?
You can turn it off, at least for ext4: https://lwn.net/Articles/784041/
It's a big difference whether a folder is named PetersHits or PeterShits. So what should I expect when opening a folder called petershits? Pictures of Peter on the potty or some great songs?
Peters-Hits You okay?
On MacOS you get a choice when you format the drive.