APFS File system

[Mayank18]

When the new APFS file system comes, will it support existing devices (eg. retina Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad etc.) ? OR We will have to buy the new devices to use APFS File System?

I am thinking of buying a new rMBP, but I am not sure, if it will become obsolete 1 year after, since it cannot use APFS.

 

[mrapplegate]

When the new APFS file system comes, will it support existing devices (eg. retina Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad etc.) ? OR We will have to buy the new devices to use APFS File System?

I am thinking of buying a new rMBP, but I am not sure, if it will become obsolete 1 year after, since it cannot use APFS.

It's backwards compatible with HFS+ according to the APFS docs and the session https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2016/701/

 

[curmudgeonette]

When the new APFS file system comes, will it support existing devices (eg. retina Macbook Pro, iPhone, iPad etc.) ?

In 1985 when Apple switched from MFS to HFS, one had to boot from an MFS floppy to install HFS and the drivers to access the Apple HD20. With the release of the Mac Plus (and 512Ke), HFS support was in ROM.

Then, in 1998, HFS+ was added to existing machines by wrapping the HFS+ volume inside of an HFS volume - that also contained enough boot software to patch in support for HFS+.

This time I predict that a subset of supported machines will have their ROM reflashed with support for APFS. Others will have to boot from an HFS+ volume whereupon support for APFS will be loaded. So which machines would be reflashed? Probably those that came with or could have come with an SSD drive.

 

[CyBeRino]

It's backwards compatible with HFS+ according to the APFS docs and the session https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2016/701/

It won't be backwards compatible but there will be an upgrade path from HFS+ to APFS.

 

[maflynn]

It won't be backwards compatible but there will be an upgrade path from HFS+ to APFS.

I thought I heard them say it was backward compatible to HFS+

 

[CyBeRino]

I thought I heard them say it was backward compatible to HFS+

Systems before 10.12 will not be able to use APFS volumes. And even 10.12 might not be able to use the stable APFS later -- the on-disk format might still change.

What they said in the presentation was that they will provide an in-place upgrade path to convert HFS+ to APFS.

 

[maflynn]

What they said in the presentation was that they will provide an in-place upgrade path to convert HFS+ to APFS.

Yeah, I envision, them having something like MS did back when NTFS was rolled out.

 

[KALLT]

Systems before 10.12 will not be able to use APFS volumes. And even 10.12 might not be able to use the stable APFS later -- the on-disk format might still change.

What they said in the presentation was that they will provide an in-place upgrade path to convert HFS+ to APFS.

They did say that it would be compatible with 10.11.5, If I’m not mistaken.

 

[grahamperrin]

Much more discussion in the earlier topic:

• Introducing Apple File System (APFS)

 

[Hellhammer]

Please continue discussion in the thread linked above.