In comp.os.linux.advocacy, Paul Hovnanian P.E.
.
wrote
on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:37:40 -0800
<4748FC14.7BCF215F@hovnanian.com>:
> krotch.kricket@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>> If installing Ubuntu be careful for hdisk corruption. It will also
>> over write your Windows partition
> [snip]
>
> Good.
>
> Now, your point is what exactly?
>
Actually, I'd quibble with that.
[1] Of course one should be careful regarding partitioning.
Any existing data is at risk if the system installer's
sloppy, regardless of whether it's Windows, DOS, Linux,
FreeBSD, or a special homebrew affair one is tinkering
with.
[2] Because Windows is horrid, one might as well take out
the partition. That is a good thing, but...
[3] Because Windows is horrid, user data tends to end
up on the same partition as the Windows system in most
OEM installations. This is *not* a good thing.
[4] I would posit that Linux distros should be smart
enough to repartition the drive, keeping the Windows data
(defragmenting/compressing it as necessary) in its own
partition and installing Linux on the newly available
free space. Tools such as 'ntfsresize' are readily
available, if a bit clumsy to use. I'll admit I've not
researched the issue, and Gentoo's a little peculiar in
that area anyway (as an analogy, Gentoo's a stick shift in
a world of automatics -- but once one gets the hang of it,
it shifts very smoothly IMO
).
[5] If one has a brand new system, why does it have Windows
on it anyway? Preloads means Microsoft gets paid whether
one wanted the OS or not. Ideally, one would be required
to choose at the time of purchase -- and I'll admit I'm not
at all sure exactly how to structure this, mostly because
the default will probably end up being Windows again if
we're not careful.
It is also a little strange that OEMs haven't figured out
that one should put the Windows swap file in its own little
confined area, as opposed to allowing it to default to the
system partition. (In Linux, that's the rough equivalent
of putting a swap file in /usr or /var. I'd posit that
many Linux users never bother to create swapfiles, but
just let the installer create a default swap partition.)
The fact that Windows allows autoadjustment of the swap
file invites massive fragmentation of the system drive
at least if it's confined to its own partition, the
fragmentation is minimal unless the user decides to put
stuff there for some strange reason. But are the OEMs
being stupid here, or is Microsoft instructing them to
set it up this way and thereby encouraging just enough
bit rot for the consumers to go out and buy a new Vista
'puter for Xmas?
One wonders.
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