The NTFS Resurrection: Linux Kernel 7.1 Delivers a Native Driver with 110% Faster Write Speeds

Linux Kernel 7.1 has integrated a ground-up rewrite of a native NTFS driver led by Namjae Jeon, delivering full read-write support, modern kernel infrastructure (iomap, folios) and removal of legacy buffer_head dependencies. The new driver coexists with NTFS3 selectable via the NTFS_FS Kconfig, claims improved single- and multi-threaded write performance and faster mounts, includes extensive documentation and compatibility with NTFS 3.x, and is expected to reach a release candidate around April 27, 2026 with a stable release following several weeks later.