aufs

aufs (in version 1 AnotherUnionFS, since version 2 advanced multi layered unification filesystem) implements a union mount for Linux file systems.

Developed by Junjiro Okajima in 2006^[1] aufs is a complete rewriting of the earlier UnionFS. It aimed to improve reliability and performance, but also introduced some new concepts, like writable branch balancing,^[2] and other improvements - some of which are now implemented in the UnionFS 2.x branch.

Use

Several Linux distributions have chosen aufs as a replacement for UnionFS, including:

• Knoppix live CD Linux distribution - since the end of 2006, "for better stability & performance"^[3]
• Slax (and Linux-Live scripts in general) since version 6^[4]
• Xandros Linux distribution, available in the ASUS Eee PC model 901.
• Arch Linux 2009.08-2011.7^[5][6]
• Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Live CD
• Debian 6.0 Live media
• Gentoo Linux LiveDVD 11.0^[7]
• Gentoo Linux LiveDVD 11.2^[8]
• Gentoo Linux LiveDVD 12.0^[9]
• Salix Live via Linux-Live scripts until version 13.1.1 and via SaLT from version 13.37.

Notes

1. ^ History of the Aufs project maintained by Junjiro Okajima
2. ^ Goals and new features of aufs in the project's homepage
3. ^ Knoppix release note explaining the switch from UnionFS to aufs.
4. ^ Linux Live scripts use AUFS for better stability
5. ^ http://www.archlinux.org/news/459/
6. ^ https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/24742
7. ^ http://www.gentoo.org/news/20110308-livedvd.xml
8. ^ http://www.gentoo.org/news/20110807-livedvd.xml
9. ^ http://www.gentoo.org/news/20120102-livedvd.xml

See also

• File system
• Union mount, describing the concept of merging file system branches
• UnionFS, an older union mount project, developed by Professor Erez Zadok and his team at Stony Brook University.

External links

• AuFS project homepage
• a simple example