Ubuntu

Copying too big file to USB flashdrive

Asked by Rauno

Ubuntu, like Windows, should alert me before copying starts that a 6 GB file will not fit on a FAT32 file system.
Ubuntu will instead copy just over 4 GB of it and only then gives a pretty random error that I have to google.
It's especially annoying with a slow flashdrive - you wait forever and then see that error, start all over again.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

FAT32 had a maximum file size of 4Gb. This is a limitation of the file system you are using.

You have a few options:

1) Span the file in slightly smaller than 4Gb lumps using tar or something similar. You can then extract the file on the other side to make the large file.

2) If you are using Windows, format the stick to NTFS which can be read by both OSes.

3) If you are using Mac or Windows you can format the storage to Ext2 which can hold huge files. Windows will need an extra software to read it (it needs 3rd party applications to do anything useful) but it can hold the file in one go.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_systems?wprov=sfla1

Note the file limitations of FAT32....

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Rauno (rmoisto) said : 		#3

I actually wanted to report a bug but I would need to boot up a Ubuntu instance to do that, so I created a question instead. I switched to Windows by time I was asking because I could not reformat to NTFS on Ubuntu.

The real issue is me - the user - should not know about silly file system limitations. All I care about is getting my file on the flash drive I just purchased. The Ubuntu desktop should tell me I'm attempting something really stupid BEFORE actually doing it and offer a solution.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#4

This is nothing to do with Ubuntu. You have selected an inappropriate file system for your needs.

You can report a bug to get a message to tell the user this isn't possible (I guess)

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