Limits[edit]

Allowable Max
Maximum Maximum
Maximum filenam characters in Maximu numbe
File system pathname volume
e length directory m file size r of
length size[d]
entries[c] files

Any byte except No limit

BeeGFS 255 bytes 16 EiB 16 EiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]

No directory
hierarchy (but
accessibility of
CP/M file ASCII except for
8.3 files depends on 32 MiB 512 MiB ?
system < > . , ; : = ? * [ ]
user areas via
USER command
since CP/M 2.2)

Non-
IBM SFS 8.8 ? ? ? ?
hierarchical[8]

369,280
DTxN:FILNAM 369,920 bytes
DECtape 6.3 A–Z, 0–9 bytes (577 * ?
.EXT = 15 (578 * 640)
640)

MicroDOS
14 bytes ? ? 16 MiB 32 MiB ?
file system

Version 6 Any byte

Unix file except NUL and  No limit
14 bytes 16 MiB[g] 32 MiB ?
system / [e] defined[f]
(V6FS)

Disk
Operating ? ? ?
? at least 131,072
? ?
System (GEC bytes
DOS)

GEC
A–Z, 0–9. Period ? No limit defined
DOS filing ? at least 131,072
8 bytes was directory (workaround for OS
bytes
? ?
system limit)
separator
extended

Version 7 14 bytes Any byte except No limit 1 GiB[h] 2 TiB ?

 Allowable Max
Maximum Maximum
Maximum filenam characters in Maximu numbe
File system pathname volume
e length directory m file size r of
length size[d]
entries[c] files

Unix file
system NUL or  / [e] defined[f]
(V7FS)

32,760 Unicode
characters with
each path 64 ZiB (276 byte
exFAT 255 UTF-16 characters ? 16 EiB[11] ?
component no s)
more than 255
characters[11]

6.3 (binary files) / 9 ASCII (0x00 and

No directory
FAT (8-bit) characters (ASCII 0xFF not allowed ? ? ?
hierarchy
files) in first character)

SFN: OEM A-Z,
0-9, ! # $ % & '
()-@^_`{}
FAT12/FAT1 8.3 (255 UCS-2 charac ~, 0x80-0xFF, No limit 32 MiB (4 G 1 MiB to ?
6 ters with LFN)[i] 0x20. defined[f] iB)[j] 32 MiB
LFN: Unicode ex
cept NUL, " * / :
< > ? \ | [c][e]

SFN: OEM A-Z,
0-9, ! # $ % & '
()-@^_`{}
FAT16B/FA 8.3 (255 UCS-2 charac ~, 0x80-0xFF, No limit 16 MiB to 2
2 (4) GiB[j] ?
T16X ters with LFN)[i] 0x20. defined[f] (4) GiB
LFN: Unicode ex
cept NUL, " * / :
< > ? \ | [c][i][e]

SFN: OEM A-Z,
0-9, ! # $ % & ' 32,760 Unicode
()-@^_`{} characters with
FAT32/FAT3 8.3 (255 UCS-2 charac ~, 0x80-0xFF, each path 512 MiB to
4 GiB[11] ?
2X ters with LFN)[i] 0x20. component no 16 TiB[k]
LFN: Unicode ex more than 255
cept NUL, " * / : characters[11]
< > ? \ | [c][i][e]
 Allowable Max
Maximum Maximum
Maximum filenam characters in Maximu numbe
File system pathname volume
e length directory m file size r of
length size[d]
entries[c] files

Unicode
APFS 255 UTF-8 characters 9.0 encoded ? 8 EiB ? 263 [15]
in UTF-8 [14]

Any byte
HFS 31 bytes except  : Unlimited 2 GiB 2 TiB ?

Any byte except No limit

HPFS 255 bytes 2 GiB 2 TiB[m] ?
NUL[l] defined[f]

In Win32 namesp
ace: any UTF-
16 code unit
(case-insensitive) 32,767 Unicode
except  /\:*"? characters with
<>|  as well each path
as NUL component
NTFS 255 characters 16 EiB[n] 16 EiB[n] 232
(directory or
In POSIX names filename) up to
pace: any UTF- 255 characters
16 code unit long[f]
(case-sensitive)
except  /  as well
as NUL[16]

32,767 Unicode
characters with
each path
255 UTF-16 Any Unicode exc component
ReFS ept NUL,  / [17] 16 EiB[17][18] 1 YiB[17] ?
characters[17] (directory or
filename) up to
255 characters
long[17]
255 UTF-16 Any slightly less slightly less
HFS Plus Unlimited ?
characters[o] valid Unicode[e][p] than 8 EiB than 8 EiB[19][20]
Any byte except No limit
FFS 255 bytes 4 GiB 256 TiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except
HAMMER 255 bytes[21] ? ? 1 EiB[22] ?
NUL[e]
Subdirect
ory per
Any byte except No limit 16 GiB to
UFS1 255 bytes 16 EiB directory
NUL[e] defined[f] 256 TiB
is
32,767[23]
 Allowable Max
Maximum Maximum
Maximum filenam characters in Maximu numbe
File system pathname volume
e length directory m file size r of
length size[d]
entries[c] files

Subdirect
ory per
Any byte except No limit 512 GiB to 512 ZiB[24] (279 b
UFS2 255 bytes directory
NUL[e] defined[f] 32 PiB ytes)
is
32,767[23]
Any byte except No limit
ext 255 bytes 2 GiB 2 GiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit
Xiafs 248 bytes 64 MiB 2 GiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit 16 GiB to
ext2 255 bytes 2 TiB to 32 TiB ?
NUL, /[e] defined[f] 2 TiB[d]
Any byte except No limit 16 GiB to
ext3 255 bytes 2 TiB to 32 TiB ?
NUL, /[e] defined[f] 2 TiB[d]
Any byte except No limit 16 GiB to
ext4 255 bytes[25] 1 EiB 232
NUL, /[e] defined[f] 16 TiB[d][26]
Any byte except No limit
NOVA 255 bytes 16 EiB 16 EiB ?
NUL, /[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit 2 TiB to
GFS 255 bytes 2 TiB to 8 EiB[q] ?
NUL[e] defined[f] 8 EiB[q]
Any byte except No limit
NILFS 255 bytes 8 EiB 8 EiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]

Any byte except 8 TiB[r] (v3.6

4,032 bytes/255 No limit
ReiserFS NUL or  '/' [e] ), 16 TiB ?
characters defined[f]
4 GiB (v3.5)
Any byte
except  /  and No limit
Reiser4 3,976 bytes 8 TiB on x86 ? ?
defined[f]
NUL
Any byte except No limit
OCFS 255 bytes 8 TiB 8 TiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit
OCFS2 255 bytes 4 PiB 4 PiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit
XFS 255 bytes[s] 8 EiB[t] 8 EiB[t] ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit 512 TiB to
JFS1 255 bytes 8 EiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f] 4 PiB
Any Unicode exc No limit
JFS 255 bytes 4 PiB 32 PiB ?
ept NUL defined[f]
Any byte except No limit
QFS 255 bytes 16 EiB[u] 4 PiB[u] ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any byte except No limit 12,288 bytes 256 PiB to
BFS 255 bytes Unlimited
NUL[e] defined[f] to 260 GiB[v] 2 EiB
Any byte except No limit
AdvFS 255 characters 16 TiB 16 TiB ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
 Allowable Max
Maximum Maximum
Maximum filenam characters in Maximu numbe
File system pathname volume
e length directory m file size r of
length size[d]
entries[c] files

Depends on Only limited by

NSS 256 characters 8 TiB 8 TiB ?
namespace used[w] client
Depends on No limit
NWFS 80 bytes[x] 4 GiB 1 TiB ?
namespace used[w] defined[f]
ODS-5 236 bytes[y] ? 4,096 bytes[z] 1 TiB 1 TiB ?

Any byte except No limit

VxFS 255 bytes 16 EiB ? ?
NUL[e] defined[f]
Any Unicode exc 512 MiB to
UDF 255 bytes 1,023 bytes[aa] 16 EiB ?
ept NUL 16 TiB
Any Unicode exc No limit 256 ZiB (278 byt
ZFS 255 bytes 16 EiB 2128
ept NUL defined[f] es)
Any byte except
Btrfs 255 bytes No limit defined 16 EiB 16 EiB 264
'/' and NUL
Any byte except
VMFS2 128 NUL or  / [e] 2,048 4 TiB[ac] 64 TiB ?

Any byte except

VMFS3 128 NUL or  / [e] 2,048 2 TiB[ac] 64 TiB ?

4 GiB (Level
ISO Level 1: 8.3, Depends on 1 & 2) to
~ 180 bytes? 8 TiB[af] ?
9660:1988 Level 2 & 3: ~ 180 Level[ad] 8 TiB (Level
3)[ae]
All UCS-2 code
Joliet same as ISO same as ISO
64 Unicode characters except *, /, \, :, ;, ? ?
("CDFS") 9660:1988 9660:1988
and ?[28]
Any byte except No limit same as ISO same as ISO
Rock Ridge 255 bytes ?
NUL or /[e] defined[f] 9660:1988 9660:1988