Implementing Case-insensitive File Systems in the Linux Kernel

Explore the technical implementation and controversies surrounding case-insensitive file systems in the Linux kernel through this 37-minute conference talk. Discover why case-insensitive file systems, while common on Windows, macOS, and Android platforms, have been a contentious topic in the Linux community for decades. Learn about the evolution from XFS's limited ASCII-only support to ext4's groundbreaking full Unicode case-insensitivity implementation in 2018, marking the first mainline Linux filesystem to achieve this capability. Examine the technical challenges involved in properly implementing case-insensitive functionality and understand why this feature has subsequently been adopted by other filesystems including f2fs, bcachefs, and tmpfs. Gain insights into the step-by-step process of adding case-insensitive support to new filesystems and explore current proposals for future development in this area, providing a comprehensive understanding of both the technical and philosophical considerations surrounding this filesystem feature in Linux kernel development.