Comment 2 for bug 655950

Revision history for this message
Erick Brunzell (lbsolost) wrote : Re: Maverick ubiquity confusion w/ auto-resize option

Well I ran three more tests, albeit quitting the installs to expedite testing, and the first looked promising, the second less so, but the third scares me real bad.

Test #1 began with this:

lance@lance-desktop:~$ sudo parted /dev/sdb print
[sudo] password for lance:
Model: ATA WDC WD800JB-00JJ (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
 1 32.3kB 1119MB 1119MB primary ntfs
 2 1119MB 53.7GB 52.6GB primary ntfs
 3 53.7GB 59.0GB 5322MB primary ntfs
 4 59.0GB 80.0GB 21.0GB extended
 5 59.0GB 77.8GB 18.8GB logical ext4
 6 77.8GB 80.0GB 2270MB logical linux-swap(v1)

The result was good, it offered to resize sdb5 and leave all three NTFS partitions alone.

Test #2 began just by deleting sdb4, 5 & 6:

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
 1 32.3kB 1119MB 1119MB primary ntfs
 2 1119MB 53.7GB 52.6GB primary ntfs
 3 53.7GB 59.0GB 5322MB primary ntfs

But I left the free space unallocated and was offered to resize sdb2. Not great but at least it shouldn't result in data loss regardless of the outcome. It would however be nice to have the option of using the free space :^)

For test #3 I created four NTFS partitions. That's not uncommon with new "branded" Win 7 computers, you'll quite often see one tiny partition with part of the Win boot files, the main OS partition, another with "recovery", and a fourth with some silly "system utilities".

Anyway running a test with 4 NTFS partitions resulted in "The entire disc will be used" and of course you also see the offer to go advanced but I can guarantee you that people don't read! They think, "I told it to install side-by-side so that's what it should do"! And also realize that most Windows users are used to Drive A, Drive C, etc. so when they see I'm going to "use the whole disc" they're NOT thinking what you and I think.

I'm reminded of what Ivanka Majic said here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/628087/comments/31

"The installation experience should be attractive and effortless to reassure new users that Ubuntu is the right choice. The process should feel safe and should only highlight risk when necessary (e.g. when data will be destroyed)."

We are NOT highlighting that risk!

I can only imagine the forums being flooded with complaints of lost OS's and data. Not a good thing!

Sadly I have no idea how to deal with this.