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merab bokuchava wrote:
> 
> > If you need more space, install BL3 to its own HD
> > partition. That is easier than trying to increase 
> > the size of fs.img.
> 
> When you are getting some old notebook back to live, 
> you are not sure anyway that the HDD is going to manage 
> happily through the repartitioning. 

Actually, the best way to get an old laptop to manage
happily is to repartion it.  Old Windows partitions 
are usually badly fragmented/cluttered and are more 
likely to yield errors.

I have six 486 laptops and BasicLinux runs smoothly on
all of them (on its own Linux partition).

> To take all the data you like away - too much time 

No need to take it away.  Just run scandisk and do a 
complete (100%) defrag.  Then use a DOS/Windows utility 
to shrink the partition.  That will give you room to
create a fresh Linux partition.

> 100 MB data transfer by means of null-modem cables 
> - no good.

Serial null-modem:  100mb in 4 hours
Parallel lap-link:  100mb in 1 hour

If that is too slow for a one-time transfer, I suggest
you get a PCMCIA network card.  The old ones are cheap 
secondhand and most will work in BL3.  The most common
driver (pcnet) is in BL3.  If the network card requires
a 3Com or Xircom driver, they can be downloaded at the 
BL3 site.

> And if someone is trying BL just out of curiosity?

Then the 20mb loopfile gives them plenty of room to
experiment.  There's even room to install AbiWord.
 
> I think the loop file idea is the best for most of 
> the situations. 

It's fine for beginners, but it is bad for long-term
users.  In particular, the loop filesystem is slower 
and less stable.

> And most of the people have problems with the loop 
> file resizing.

Yes, resizing is complicated.  I do not recommend it.

> Maybe it is possible to prepare and make availiable
> for download several sizes fs.img's (for example of
> 20MB, 40MB, 60MB)?

If one of the BL3 contributors wants to offer various
sizes of fs.img, they are welcome to.  However, I will
not be doing that.  If users need more space, I recommend
they install BL3 to its own Linux (ext2) partition.  It's 
faster, cleaner and more stable.

Cheers,
Steven