How to mount and access Ext4 partitions on Mac

Mac does not support Ext4 file system. If you plug in a hard drive, Mac won't recognize it. Fortunately, there are several ways to handle this situation.

How to mount and access Ext4 partitions on Mac

If you work with Linux, you may have one or two formatted hard drives with Ext4 or a related file system. Assuming you only work with Linux, that's not the problem. When you need to access the data from that Ext4 file system on another operating system, everything is really starting.

For example, Mac does not support Ext4 file system. If you plug in a hard drive, Mac won't recognize it. Fortunately, there are several ways to handle this situation.

Temporary options: Use VM

If you only need to read a few files and don't want to choose a more permanent solution, there is an easy method. Just install the Ubuntu version or any Linux distribution you choose, in a virtual machine like VirtualBox, then mount the hard drive like any other device and read it.

Installing VirtualBox is quite simple and if you have an Ext4 formatted hard drive, you may be familiar with installing Linux. If not, read on for other options.

Add Ext4 support for macOS

If you regularly use Ext4 formatted drives and / or need to copy multiple files from there to the macOS drive, you need a better option. You need to install some software, namely osxfuse and ext4fuse. The easiest way to install them is to use Homebrew. If you need help installing Homebrew, follow TipsMake.com 's instructions in: Instructions for installing software with Homebrew on macOS X or How to use Homebrew to install software on Linux and Windows.

After Homebrew is installed (or if it is already installed), run the following command:

 brew cask install osxfuse brew install ext4fuse

Warning

Although these tools can help you read Ext4 formatted hard drives, they are not stable. As long as you are mounting read-only drives, as what is being done in this tutorial, you will not have much risk. If you try to use these tools to write to an Ext4 drive, you may lose data.

If you need to move files back and forth on a shared drive with Linux, this method is not recommended. Instead, use another file system like ExFAT or try the commercial option listed below.

Mount Ext4 drive on macOS

After installing the Ext4 support software, you now need to determine the hard drive you want to mount. To do this, run the following command:

 diskutil list

Save the partition ID (will look like ' / dev / disk3s1 '). Then, run the following command to mount the hard drive:

 sudo ext4fuse /dev/disk3s1 ~/tmp/MY_DISK_PARTITION -o allow_other

MY_DISK above can be any name you choose. Now, navigate to the '/ tmp /' directory in the Finder and you will see the contents of the partition listed. If your drive has multiple partitions, you can mount them using the same steps as above. Just make sure to use different directory names to mount them.

How to mount and access Ext4 partitions on Mac Picture 2

Third option: Use paid software

If you really need read / write access and are willing to pay a fee, Paragon Software may have a suitable option for you. This company offers ExtFS software, which is guaranteed to be safe and fast, for Mac. The company even said that their software can fix Ext4 and other file systems.

How to mount and access Ext4 partitions on Mac Picture 3

The article has not yet tested this software, so it is not certain whether it works as well as what it has promised. Paragon Software offers a free trial version, but to be safe, you should back up your hard drive first, in case there is a problem. If you want to buy software, it is available for $ 39.95 (920,000VND).

Although reading Ext4 format on macOS is no longer an impossible task, it is frustrating when Apple does not support this format. Since Apple is still busy focusing on its own technologies, users do not expect change in this issue in the near future. Currently, companies like Paragon Software and the open source community are actively offering solutions to this problem.

Ext4 is also not fully supported on Windows at the present time. Due to the enhancement of Linux integration into Windows, this has finally been changed. Refer to the article: How to access Linux partitions on Windows? For more details.

Hope you are succesful.

How to access Linux Ext4 partition from Windows
if you dual boot windows and linux, you will find it helpful to be able to access the files on your linux system's ext4 partition while you're using windows. there are several ways that users can access ext4 partitions from windows.
How to mount a Linux file system using WSL2 on Windows 10
starting with build 20211, windows subsystem for linux 2 (wsl2) includes a new feature that allows you to attach and mount physical drives to access the linux file system (such as ext4) which is not supported. support on windows 10.
Should use the Ext4 or Btrfs file system?
linux has many different file system options. the current default option is ext4. users are always motivated to change the default file system to btrfs. but is btrfs better than ext4? find the answer through the following article!
How to mount the hard drive and partition using the Linux command line
if you want to use the linux terminal more, find out how to mount and remove your hard drive mount manually. this is a simple task to get started.
Beautiful wooden living room partitions help the house more spacious and luxurious
partition is a convenient solution for families who want spacious space but still separate areas. wooden partitions are both beautiful and luxurious as the first choice of many homeowners to decorate the living room space of the family.
How to Remove a TV from a Mount
the tv mount plays the role of firmly fixing the tv to the wall, so dismantling it may seem difficult at first. although you can call a professional, you can actually do it yourself without any major problems. the tv mount consists of two parts that snap together, sometimes locked. after removing these parts, you can pick up the tv and take it anywhere.
How to delete a partition on Windows hard drive?
for some reason, for example, if you don't want to use a partition on a hard drive or faulty partition that forces you to delete the partition, then you can follow the steps below to delete one. partition on the hard drive.
How to remove the drive partition on macOS
similar to windows, mac users can remove or delete disk partitions if they are corrupted or do not want to use partitions.
How to mount remote directory in Linux with SSHFS
from an end-user perspective, sshfs is a simple and very easy to use solution. sshfs is also extremely secure because it depends on the proven openssh server.
How to use Dropbox in a Linux file system is not Ext4
previously, using dropbox on linux was easy. however, if you use a file system other than ext4, this will become much more difficult.
How to access Windows encrypted partitions using Bitlocker from Linux
if you have a windows partition encrypted with bitlocker, you will have trouble accessing your files. this article will show you how to use dislocker to access encrypted partitions by bitlocker.
Add the option to Mount right-click menu in Windows 8
with versions from windows 8 and above, microsoft has assisted users in using iso and img file packages via the mount option integrated in the right-click menu without the need for virtual drive creation software. however, for some reason, this option may not appear on your computer. but don't worry, we'll show you how to add this feature in the article below. please take a look.