is there a usermode ext2 filesystem library for Windows?

Question

I'm hoping to find a C/C++ library that can read a number of files off an ext formatted volume from within an application in Windows. I do not need to mount this volume in a traditional way, all I need is API access to the files. Read only is fine. My one application is the only application who needs access to the volume.

In short, instead of an installable filesystem for Windows, I would prefer a library such that drivers do not need to be installed. I'm able to detect when the disk arrives, the volumes location etc.

Most important to me is the ability to read the files off the volume reliably and without the need for an installed filesystem.

I do not need write support

Answer 1

The ext2read project is able to read ext2, ext3 and ext4 filesystems. It achieves this entirely from user space and does not rely on a kernel driver.

It's free software (GPL) and the source code is available on GitHub. Some of the more technical aspects are also discussed at length in the project blog.

(Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with this project in any way, but I think it can solve your problem.)