Re: d-i shrinking NTFS partitions?
On Fri, 2006-01-06 at 00:40 +0100, RalfGesellensetter wrote:
> Dear List
>
> This might become a feature request, depending on your echoes:
>
> Quite a few might cheer if installing debian-edu blows away previously
> installed non-free operation systems. However, common sense is that
> teachers should be enabled to install Skolelinux as second system.
>
> Debian-Edu Sarge does a good deal here, supporting manual partitioning
> after refusing autopartkit twice. Provided an apt documentation,
> windows users who have some spare partition or empty space on their
> hard disc, now can go for Skolelinux.
>
> Alas, in most cases, bad blue windows seizes whole of the disk, and even
> worse, puts some ugly NTFS file system onto it. What now?
>
> Personally I usually succeed by booting some kanotix, starting qtparted,
> resizing ntfs (I dare!) - and voila: I got the space Skolelinux needs.
> (Sometimes it is admittedly necessary to defrag from within windows.)
>
> Now, going for a "dense" (i.e. comprehensive) howto, I wonder which of
> these three options are feasable, recommendable, sensible:
>
> 1. Give Debian-Installer the feature to shrink ntfs partitions within
> manually partitioning: What is needed in terms of work and in terms of
> space?
>
> 2. Provide a separate LiveCD version of Skolelinux including qtparted
> and knx-hdinstall: This approach has many pros, but a live CD will
> always differ from the schools' desktop then.
>
> 3. Recommend a LiveCD containing tools (like qtparted) to shrink ntfs.
> This LiveCD, then should be of minimum size (<200 MB). Maybe it even
> doesn't need an X - ncurses could suffice as UI.
>
> Now, I expect your comments eagerly ;)
>
> Regards
> Ralf
>
I feel that configuring dualbooting for teachers is a timeconsuming, and
error prone task. And that it gives you additional installs to maintain
as well.
We are solving this in a different manner, that have minimum impact on
windows computers that are scattered around in the local school system.
So I'll provide 2 more suggestions that we use today.
Both suggestions have minimum impact on the windows install, but do
require network connectivity in order to function. If the teacher
require offline Linux desktop, then you'll need a dualboot or livecd
solution.
4. Install freenx on a thinclient server. and use nomachine nx client on
windows to get the debian-edu desktop on their windows computers.
nx also works from remote locations, as long as you have internet, and
configured your firewall correctly.
5. using debian-edu sarge you can allow the teachers computers to
network boot as a diskless workstation. most bios have a possibility to
get a boot meny by pressing F12 or similar. Alternativly a windows
install of grub with pxe boot and windows selections.
with regards
Ronny Aasen
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