Resizing the wubi partition in lucid

[durand]

Hmm, well, bcbc, thanks a lot for that! I'll tell my friend about the code but she's completely new to linux so I think it might be easier to just get her to reinstall it. I personally don't like using wubi because you're tied to windows that way. But anyway. Thanks bodhi.zazen as well

[bodhi.zazen]

I can do that

The way I see it, people chose wubi for a reason. They deserve help if they need it, the same as any other forum user. When they're ready, they can move on to a real install. I don't think that we need to force their hand whenever they have a problem - but sure it's a good idea to suggest it, especially if its simpler than the fix.

You raise a good point, I would just say we do support wubi here.

We just differ on when to advise one to do a "standard" install. I know the loop mounted file or virtual HD can be resized, but, IMO, most people who install wubi find that task to be more difficult then a standard installation.

There are many support questions that are no more or less difficult on wubi then a standard install, and in those cases wubi is supported.

[durand]

It should be pretty easy to support wubi resizes by just making a windows program to do all that.

[bcbc]

You raise a good point, I would just say we do support wubi here.

We just differ on when to advise one to do a "standard" install. I know the loop mounted file or virtual HD can be resized, but, IMO, most people who install wubi find that task to be more difficult then a standard installation.

There are many support questions that are no more or less difficult on wubi then a standard install, and in those cases wubi is supported.

Yeah, after some sober second thought, I believe you're right

Part of the problem is that tools like LVPM haven't been updated for 2 years. Resizing shouldn't be that complicated, but without a properly tested and foolproof solution, it's not worth the risk to new users. As I found out last night, it's a very time consuming, painful process to test something like this.

It should be pretty easy to support wubi resizes by just making a windows program to do all that.

I believe the creator of Wubi proposed a windows tool that would allow the user to migrate their install to partition. It certainly makes sense to be able to do this and resizing from Windows - but I don't think any progress has been made in this regard.

[joonjoon]

Sorry to dig up old dirt, but this is the most thorough thread I've read regarding this topic. Like many others easily found on the forums, I installed 10.04 (it seemed like the thing to do) with Wubi on a basic 5 GB and after a few days it's bursting at the seems.

So I'm just wondering if there are any updates, it being 6 months later (and me not having a clue where to start looking).

I guess wubi is a good trial, but it also kind of sucks they make it so easy you get hooked, but if you want the real deal you need to start over and do what you didn't want to do anyway...

ps: if I were to install 10.04 again, would it suffice to backup my home-dir? or as there anything else/more/better I can do?

[bcbc]

Sorry to dig up old dirt, but this is the most thorough thread I've read regarding this topic. Like many others easily found on the forums, I installed 10.04 (it seemed like the thing to do) with Wubi on a basic 5 GB and after a few days it's bursting at the seems.

So I'm just wondering if there are any updates, it being 6 months later (and me not having a clue where to start looking).

I guess wubi is a good trial, but it also kind of sucks they make it so easy you get hooked, but if you want the real deal you need to start over and do what you didn't want to do anyway...

ps: if I were to install 10.04 again, would it suffice to backup my home-dir? or as there anything else/more/better I can do?

I wrote a script for it so you have an option if you wish...
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1625371

You can also migrate the wubi install to a real partition here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1519354

[joonjoon]

thanks a bunch will try it one of these days

[beew]

The user can decide what they want to do. I don't think it's a large effort - maybe because it's not in a program or script, but it's a lot less 'real' effort (and risk) than resizing partitions.

There will be no risk if OP gets an old external hard disk and install Ubuntu on it (a full install, not a live usb) . He can get a real Ubuntu installation and try that out by booting into it without altering anything in his internal drive (while WUBI does change his Windows install, like you would by installing any Windows program) As an added bonus it is portable so it can be used with almost any machine.

I am with Bodhi, I am no fan of WUBI, it is a diminished shawdow of the real thing that works under the limitation of Windows,

[Trooper_Max]

I'm actually very fond of Wubi/loop-mounted installs.

And it is VERY EASY to resize the disks...

Just boot up using a LiveCD (preferably Maverick, though Lucid may work as well).

Find the disk file (back it up first if you're wary).

And use the resize2fs tool from the command line on it:
http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/...size2fs.8.html

You may have to use the -f flag to force it to proceed on a file as opposed to a block device, but I'm not even sure this is necessary (and don't want to test it again right now).

It will often tell you to run e2fsck first to check the filesystem before doing this, so just do what it says and then you should be able to try the resize2fs command again.

It will automatically enlarge the file too, no need to use dd to append to the file or anything like that. You can also use it to shrink the disk, in which case it will automatically truncate the file too. The -M option is very handy for this to find the minimum size to shrink it down to. This is handy if you want to transfer it somewhere (and re-enlarge it later) or archive it somewhere.

I've done this numerous times, as I've been fiddling around quite a bit with loop-mounted installs on various devices lately.

Alternatively, you might even be able to do it from Windows, following this guide written for resizing casper-rw images (which are just ext3 filesystems in a file, which are overlaid over a Live CD image in order to allow changes to persist):
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/how-to-...per-rw-images/

It uses a tool called TopoResize.

Hope all this helps and let me know if you have any questions! I'm quite fond of Wubi (or at least loop-mounted installs, I usually end up getting rid of all traces of the installation from Windows anyway). I love the ability to juggle partitions as files instead of repartitioning.

EDIT: Didn't notice this thread had shifted more toward the topic of migration from a Wubi/loop-mounted install to a partition-based install. For that, I've been wondering how straight dd-ing the file into a partition would differ from a normal install (I know for one you'd need to go in and edit the fstab file to no longer mount from the file). Interestingly enough, I've done the opposite of this for testing out Natty on one of my devices. I installed the alpha 2 release on to a thumb drive using the normal install method to set it up on the thumb drive just as if it were a hard drive. I then dd'ed the thumb drive's partition into a file and went in and modified the fstab file to indicate the filesystem now being loopmounted, and it works (I setup GRUB by hand), though it is not quite the same as a wubi-install (mainly in the absence of the "host" folder).

I'm also quite disappointed with the general pessimistic attitude toward Wubi installs and implications that they are not "real" installs (and maybe they aren't, depends on your definition of real, but why such pessimism?). I know it complicates things and makes things harder in terms of support, but from an idealistic sense, why should Ubuntu care so much what layers of filesystems are running under it? There are conveniences to having an install entirely housed in a file, and some users will enjoy those conveniences (I know I do, and I've run pure-Linux systems as well as Windows and hybrid multibooting systems).

~Troop

[bodhi.zazen]

I'm actually very fond of Wubi/loop-mounted installs.

And it is VERY EASY to resize the disks...

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~Troop

wubi is a tool and it has it's merits.

As I said to bcbc some time ago, sure it is easy for you or I to resize these disks, but wubi is targeting people who want to "try" Ubuntu without partitioning their hard drives or installing GRUB.

IMO, once the trial is over, one needs to then decide what to do in the long run.

The options are:

1. Do a standard install. It is "easy" to migrate your customizations (you can generate a list of installed packages and back up /home).

2. Learn to manage a loop mount.

Of those two options, for users new to Linux, I highly suggest #1. IMO this is the easier, less error prone, and best supported option.

If a user really wants to manage a loop mount, or if they just want to learn, go with #2.

Both options are viable, but honestly which do you think is easier for the "average" wubi user ?

So it is not a debate about what is possible, but rather what to do with wubi users in the long run.