What is the Large File Feature and how it is configured?
Linux kernels version higher than 2.2 allow storing files larger than 2 GBytes on Ext2 volumes: They set a feature bit EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_LARGE_FILE the first time such a large file is stored. But this set feature bit causes old Linux Kernels, which do not support large files (version 2.2 or prior), mounting the Ext2 volume as a read-only volume. If that volume is the root volume of an old Linux installation, its Linux Kernel will become inoperable (it will enter the maintenance mode on booting). The Ext2 file system driver ext2fs.sys for Windows has to behave exactly like Linux kernels to become compatibile with the Linux file system Ext2. But the behavior of old and new Linux Kernels regarding to large files excludes each other, so the Ext2 file system driver ext2fs.sys for Windows is configurable whether it behaves like an old Linux Kernel (2.2 or prior) or a new Linux Kernel (higher than 2.2). The setup wizard of this software asks the user whether the large file feature should
Linux kernels version higher than 2.2 allow storing files larger than 2 GBytes on Ext2 volumes: They set a feature bit EXT2_FEATURE_RO_COMPAT_LARGE_FILE the first time such a large file is stored. But this set feature bit causes old Linux Kernels, which do not support large files (version 2.2 or prior), mounting the Ext2 volume as a read-only volume. If that volume is the root volume of an old Linux installation, its Linux Kernel will become inoperable (it will enter the maintenance mode on booting). The Ext2 file system driver ext2fs.sys for Windows has to behave exactly like Linux kernels to become compatibile with the Linux file system Ext2. But the behavior of old and new Linux Kernels regarding to large files excludes each other, so the Ext2 file system driver ext2fs.sys for Windows is configurable whether it behaves like an old Linux Kernel (2.2 or prior) or a new Linux Kernel (higher than 2.2). The setup wizard of this software asks the user whether the large file feature should
