Idea #3313: Make disk partitioning easier

202

Written by maxbloemer the 5 Mar 08 at 11:33. Category: Installation.
Related to: Nothing/Others. Status: New

Description

i made a poll in a german ubuntu forum with the result, that the most people think, that disk partitioning is a main barrier for pc beginners:

http://forum.ubuntuusers.de/topic/151633/

disk partitioning should be made easier in live cd mode. there are still a lot of things a beginner can be made confused and insecure with: create free space, dualboot, not to delete windows, filesystem names and so on...

I know, that i gave no precice idea, what to do (sorry), but make it easier for beginners!

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DamienCassou wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 12:01

Part of the solution could be to ask the user simple questions:

- A Windows installation has been detected, do you want to keep it or to destroy it?

Then, you can display other questions based on the first answer.

Agony wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 13:55

IMHO someone who won't be able to understand partitioning should *really* let someone else install Ubuntu for him(or else go with the "use largest free space" or whatever the installer has)

jmphilippe wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 14:02

Not sure there is really a need for more questions... All Linux requires is enough free space, so there are 2 situations:

* not enough space (let's say < 15Go) -> ask the user to buy a new HD (a USB key?) or to manually remove files from within windows

* enough space (let's say >= 15 Go) -> keep some free space for windows (few Go or few % of free space) and install Ubuntu automatically after having shrunk windows

Naturally advanced users should always be able to access a manual (re)partitioning tool. I also propose that default partitioning would separate /home from / for data security reasons (in case / would crash). This is totally invisible to the normal user.

tgellen wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 14:56

Another really annoying part of trying to repartition with the Live CD is it constantly wants to remount your partitions while you're trying to work on them. I have to quickly umonunt and delete in the few seconds I get before they get remounted >:( if I want to alter the layout of a drive.

vexorian wrote on the 6 Mar 08 at 04:01

It cannot be made easier, making it easier will only make it easier for users to screw everything up.

If a user cannot partition the system, let him stick to wubi, I say.

travis wrote on the 6 Mar 08 at 05:40

Something that's as easy to use as GPartEd would be great.

larryfroot wrote on the 6 Mar 08 at 07:16

I would welcome a wizard to help me set up a /home partition. Either during installing (preferred) or afterwards. I have neither the experience or the courage to start carving up my hard drive, and much of the advice I see seems written for people who already know wha they are doing! An oxymoron if ever there was one. This one gets my vote.

fridobox wrote on the 6 Mar 08 at 13:24

I'm agree with Agony. I think the actual installation help is prefect. If it's too difficult for beginners, they'll have to ask help or look for doc.
It will be the same for a lot of things.

pante wrote on the 14 Mar 08 at 04:27

It would be useful ask for "/" and swap partitions, may be /Home, explaining shortly what they are.

First time I tried to install Ubuntu I didn't knew that I had to setup a "/" partition and a swap one, and obviously failed.

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