⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This is an experimental implementation of ExFAT for FreeBSD. Before using this code, please be aware of and review the following:

1. Patent Status: There are relevant Microsoft patents covering ExFAT functionality:

   • File name hash for efficient file lookup
   • Contiguous file storage without using FAT

   While Microsoft has contributed ExFAT to OIN (Open Invention Network), please review issue #1 for ongoing discussion about patent implications.

2. Development Status: This implementation is a work in progress and should not be considered production-ready.

• FreeBSD 14.0 or later
• Basic development tools (compiler, make)

1. Clone the repository:

bash
git clone https://github.com/paigeadelethompson/exfat.git
cd exfat

2. Build the newfs_exfat tool:

bash
make

This will build:

• mount_exfat: ExFAT filesystem mount utility
• newfs_exfat: Create new ExFAT filesystem
• fsck_exfat: Check and repair ExFAT filesystem
• defrag_exfat: Defragment ExFAT filesystem

bash
sudo make install

• Basic read/write support
• Mount/unmount functionality
• Filesystem creation
• Filesystem checking
• Defragmentation support

• Experimental implementation
• Not yet thoroughly tested
• Some features may be patent-encumbered (see above notice)

Please review open issues and ongoing discussions before contributing (or even using this code.) In particular, note the patent-related discussions in issue #1.

**⚠️ We're not really sure what this is yet, but the hope is ** BSD 2-Clause License. See LICENSE file for details.

• Microsoft ExFAT Licensing
• ExFAT Patents Discussion

This implementation is provided as-is, without warranty of any kind. Users should perform their own legal due diligence regarding patent implications before using this code.