Why doesn’t macOS support Linux file systems by default?

There are a few reasons why macOS does not support Linux file systems by default:Different file system structures: macOS uses the HFS+ or APFS file systems, while Linux typically uses ext4 or other file systems. These file systems have different structures and features, making it difficult for macOS to natively support Linux file systems without additional software or drivers.Compatibility issues: Supporting Linux file systems by default could potentially introduce compatibility issues and conflicts with existing macOS file systems. This could lead to data corruption or loss, which Apple likely wants to avoid.Focus on proprietary technologies: Apple tends to prioritize its own proprietary technologies and file systems, such as HFS+ and APFS, over supporting open-source Linux file systems. This allows Apple to maintain control over the user experience and ensure compatibility with its own hardware and software ecosystem.Overall, while it is technically possible to add support for Linux file systems on macOS through third-party software or drivers, Apple has chosen not to include native support for these file systems by default.

How can I enable ext4 support on macOS using Homebrew?

To enable ext4 support on macOS using Homebrew, you can follow these steps:Install Homebrew if you haven't already by running the following command in Terminal:```/bin/bash -c '$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)'```Once Homebrew is installed, run the following command to install the ext4fuse package:```brew install ext4fuse```Load the ext4 kernel module by running the following command:```sudo kextload /usr/local/Cellar/ext4fuse/0.1.2/Ext4fuse.kext```Create a directory where you want to mount the ext4 filesystem, for example:```mkdir ~/ext4```Finally, mount the ext4 filesystem using the following command (replace `/dev/diskXsY` with the actual path to your ext4 partition):```sudo ext4fuse /dev/diskXsY ~/ext4```You should now be able to access and read/write to your ext4 filesystem on macOS using Homebrew.

Is it possible to open a disk formatted with Btrfs or ZFS on a Mac?

Yes, it is possible to open a disk formatted with Btrfs or ZFS on a Mac. However, you may need to install additional software or drivers to access the files on the disk. There are third-party tools available that can help you mount and access disks formatted with Btrfs or ZFS on a Mac.

What are the most commonly used Linux file systems?

ext4 (Fourth Extended File System)XFS (X File System)Btrfs (B-Tree File System)ZFS (Zettabyte File System)JFS (Journaled File System)ReiserFS (Reiser File System)NTFS (New Technology File System) - commonly used for dual-boot systems with WindowsFAT32 (File Allocation Table 32) - commonly used for USB drives and external storage devices

What are FUSE and ext4fuse, and how do they work?

FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) is a software interface that allows non-privileged users to create their own file systems without modifying the operating system kernel. It provides a way for users to develop file systems as user-space programs, which can then be mounted and accessed like any other file system.ext4fuse is a FUSE-based file system driver for the ext4 file system, which is the default file system for many Linux distributions. It allows users to mount ext4 partitions in read-only mode on macOS systems, providing access to files stored on Linux partitions without needing to boot into a Linux environment.ext4fuse works by translating file system requests made by the operating system into ext4 file system operations, allowing macOS to interact with ext4 partitions as if they were native to the system. This enables users to access and read files stored on ext4 partitions without the need for additional software or tools.

How to Safely Open a Drive with a Linux File System on a Mac (Ext4, Btrfs, Xfs)

Author: Vladimir Artiukh
Editor: Oleg Afonin
Updated: 21.08.2025 10:09

Read about how to open a drive on macOS that was used in the Linux operating system. This guide applies regardless of the file system it was formatted with—be it ext4, btrfs, xfs, or others that macOS does not support. With these instructions, you can recover your files even if the drive is damaged or won’t mount.

How to Safely Open a Drive with a Linux File System on a Mac (Ext4, Btrfs, Xfs)

Contents

The macOS and Linux operating systems use different file systems, which can create difficulties when you try to open a Linux-created drive on a Mac computer. Formats like ext4, btrfs, or xfs are not supported by macOS “out of the box,” and attempting to access such drives without proper preparation can lead to data corruption or complete information loss.

In this article, we will detail how to safely open a drive with a Linux file system on a Mac without risking its contents. You will learn about proven connection methods, suitable tools, and what actions to avoid so as not to damage the partition structure.

Go to view

WARNING! How to Recover Data from an External Hard Disk on Mac the Right Way

Linux and macOS File Systems

OS	File System	Journaling Support	Max File Size	Features
Linux	Ext2	No	2 TB	Obsolete, no journaling, high performance on old hardware
Linux	Ext3	Yes	2 TB	Extension of ext2, with journaling
Linux	Ext4	Yes	16 TB	Modern, default in most Linux distributions
Linux	Btrfs	Yes	16 EB	Supports snapshots, compression, RAID, advanced features
Linux	XFS	Yes	8 EB	High performance with large files and on servers
Linux	ReiserFS	Yes	8 TB	Obsolete, rarely used
Linux	F2FS	Yes	16 TB	Optimized for flash drives
macOS	HFS+ (Mac OS Extended)	Yes	8 EB	Old macOS format, used before High Sierra
macOS	APFS	Yes	8 EB	Modern, default since macOS High Sierra, supports encryption, snapshots

File System Compatibility Between Linux and macOS

As is well known, macOS does not recognize most Linux file systems by default.

File System	Linux Reads	Linux Writes	macOS Reads	macOS Writes
ext4	Yes	Yes	No (drivers required)	No (drivers required)
Btrfs	Yes	Yes	No	No
XFS	Yes	Yes	No	No
HFS+	Yes (read-only by default)	Limited	Yes	Yes
APFS	No (only with proprietary drivers)	No	Yes	Yes
FAT32 / exFAT	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

When you connect a drive with one of these file systems, it might not even appear in Finder, or the system may prompt you to format it for further use. This is strongly not recommended, as your data will be lost.

How to Open a Drive with a Linux File System in macOS

Method 1. Hetman Partition Recovery

So, I have a drive with documents, photos, and videos that was used in Linux. I am currently using a computer with the macOS file system. When I connect the drive to my Mac, it is detected. However, I couldn’t mount it in Disk Utility.

When a Linux drive is connected to a Mac, it is detected

To get access to the files, we will use the data recovery program Hetman Partition Recovery.

Partition Recovery™ 5.1

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

Download

The program supports all popular file systems, including Linux file systems like ext4, btrfs, xfs, etc. It will help you access the drive to copy files and also recover previously deleted ones.

Go to https://hetmanrecovery.com/ and download the program. Choose the version for macOS.

Download Hetman Partition Recovery for macOS

Then, install it like any other program. Drag the shortcut to the Applications folder.

Install Hetman Partition Recovery on macOS

Next, you need to grant the program full access to the drives. To do this, open settings and enable disk access for this program by simply toggling the switch to the appropriate position.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Grant the program full access to drives on macOS

Next, launch the program and enter your Mac user password.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Launch the program, enter your Mac user password

Here we see our drive. Right-click on it and select Open.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Right-click on the drive and select Open

Then, choose Fast scan.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Select Fast scan

After the analysis is complete, open the drive. The program displays all the documents, photos, and videos that were stored on the drive. Their contents are available for preview in the preview window.

Hetman Partition Recovery: The program displays all documents

To recover, select all the necessary files and click the Recover button.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Select all necessary files and click the Recover button

Next, choose a folder to save to and click Recover again to confirm.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Choose a folder to save to and click Recover

Upon completion, all files will be in the previously specified folder; by default, they are saved to the Documents folder.

Hetman Partition Recovery: Files from the Linux drive have been recovered

Method 2. How to Access a Drive with Btrfs and ZFS File Systems

That was for an ext4 file system. But what if the drive was formatted with Btrfs or ZFS? And what if there are multiple drives that were part of a RAID array? For such cases, there is another solution – the data recovery program Hetman RAID Recovery.

RAID Recovery™ 2.8

Recover data from damaged RAID arrays inaccessible from a computer.

Download

Connect the drives to our Mac using any available method. As with the ext4 drive, the btrfs drive could not be mounted either.

Error: Drive is formatted with Btrfs or ZFS file systems

Download and install Hetman RAID Recovery. Open the program, and you will see our drive in the main window.

Hetman RAID Recovery: Btrfs and ZFS drives on macOS

Double-click on it, then select Fast scan and wait for it to complete.

Open the drive, and you’ll see all your files stored on it. A preview is also available here. Simply select the ones you need and recover them.

Hetman RAID Recovery: Select and recover files from a Btrfs or ZFS drive

Next, go to the save path and check how the program handled the task. As you can see, all files are recovered, they are not damaged, and each one plays without any problems.

Hetman RAID Recovery: Files from the Btrfs and ZFS drive are recovered

Method 3. Alternative Method: Installing Support via Homebrew (FUSE + ext4fuse)

There is also an alternative way to open a Linux drive on macOS. This is a free method, but it will only help you open a drive with an ext4 file system. This method requires using the Terminal.

First, you need to install Homebrew.

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS.

To install, run the following command:

/bin/bash -c «$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)»

Installing Linux file system support via Homebrew

Then, install the macfuse and ext4fuse utilities.

macFUSE and ext4fuse are tools that allow limited work with Linux file systems (like ext4) on macOS, which does not support such file systems by default.

To install, run the following commands:

brew install ext4fuse

brew install macfuse

Method 4. Virtual Machine with Linux (UTM or Parallels)

Another method: you can run any Linux system in a virtual machine (for example, via UTM or Parallels) and connect the drive to it as a physical device.

Linux will definitely recognize ext4, xfs, and btrfs, and you will be able to copy the files to your macOS drive.

This is a longer route, but it works great in complex situations.

Run any Linux system in a virtual machine (UTM or Parallels)

Conclusion

As you can see, macOS does not natively support most Linux file systems like ext4, btrfs, and xfs. Some alternative methods can help you access the information, but they might seem complicated for an inexperienced user.

Therefore, if you want to quickly and safely access important files, especially from a damaged drive, Hetman Partition Recovery for macOS remains the best and most convenient solution.

Partition Recovery™ 5.1

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

Download

With its help, you can access a drive with any of the supported file systems that macOS doesn't recognize. You can also recover any data from any drive, regardless of its condition or file system type.