Abstract
Anaconda supports partition resizing (including NTFS) in Rawhide now. It would be great to combine this with a data migration tool for Windows or dual booting users.
The software is built in with the anaconda using python scripts that may transfer the User Documents in the Windows OS.The NTFS partition is mounted and the contents in it such as My Pictures,My Documents,My Music,etc is copied and made as a mirror image of the same in Fedora.
When a user has a single account that has all the documents in sync without the concern of the Operating System he uses, the focus is more on his productivity.
Detailed Description
The Ubuntu project includes a feature where the person installing the OS has a choice to include the Windows documents in the Ubuntu OS too.
Well in this project, the installation provides the flexibility for the users to maintain the same user accounts,documents,files in sync with the operating system in dual boot.
When Fedora is being installed on the system, the Anaconda will include a code which starts mounting the other partitions in the system.If the mount of all the filesystem fails then it proceeds as it has to (without this idea during installation).
Once the installation phase is done,the system admin can try to mount all the partitions using Sync part of the idea. This sync starts changing the file ‘/etc/fstab’ creates directory for a user to mount his windows files there.If there is an error it restores the file content again.
And as far as the NTFS write is concerned I feel it has been working absolutely fine since Fedora 7. I have been doing almost all operations like Read,Write,Execute(.exe’s using Wine), I have found no problem that the application may face as far as NTFS write is concerned.
The complexity lies in the synchronous maintainance of files and folders.Just Windows data migration may be an easier task. But providing a rich set of utilities of how to maintain data in both the OS’ will be an issue to focus upon.
The system administrator can have the following options like:
- Add users to access a particular directory
- Map users and files on both OS’
- Grant/Revoke permissions to access files
- Provide a collaborative folder for a group of users
The normal users can have options like:
- View their files in their respective ‘My Documents’,'My Pictures’,etc folders irrespective of the existence of the file in the same OS viz, it may exist in Windows too.
- Have an overview of what files have been modified by the other OS like Delete,Append,etc.
- Maintain a back up of the data.
Additional Comments:
After the post-install it may be done but the complexities increase when the same sync has to be maintained everytime.
To do that the system adminstrator has to always mount the filesystem,give permissions,etc.
Moreover, it cannot be easily implemented when there is a bulk number of users from different groups.
During the install time, the admin can make sure that he has set up the basic rules for file sharing and sync.