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Is it possible to switch Ubuntu back to base-2?

rated 0 times [ 11] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 2088 / 3 Years ago, mon, september 27, 2021, 2:07:29

Beginning with (Lucid) 10.10, Ubuntu began using base-10 to represent storage sizes. For me, working with Windows all day and then going to work on my Ubuntu notebook, it is very irritating to have to calculate values sometimes. I understand that it is the recommended policy to use base-10 (GB), but I am all too familiar with base-2 (GiB, or GB on Windows) and I blame Windows. So here is my question:

Is it possible to switch Ubuntu's Units policy to base-2 and if so, how?

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tionpromoti

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2 Years ago

answered 3 Years ago curatekill · Accepted Answer

The only way to do this, would be to patch (or in some cases, un-patch) all of the code which displays sizes to the user, and recompile your own fork of Ubuntu which has all of the sizes displayed using base 8 math (which is what you are asking for, and not base 2). It is a very invasive change to make, and is not an Ubuntu specific thing, as upstream applications were already doing this. The Ubuntu policy on size display is merely to clarify the matter, and to provide an official stance.

There is no setting which will switch between GiB and GB in all applications. If that's what you're looking for, the only way you're going to get it is to maintain patches to everything, which does so; unless you can convince all the upstreams to use such a setting, and provide patches, which they accept.

I'm sorry if you're looking for a simpler solution, but it doesn't exist, and isn't likely to anytime soon.