From another comment I made
A linux installer for windows that works just like a normal installer on windows. You download the .exe, double click it, it opens a wizard you can walk though, and by the end of the process, after it reboots, you're in a linux distro.
How could something like this be implemented?
My idea:
Best case scenario where multiple data partitions exist and can accommodate the user data stored on C:/ + there's a swap partition -->
- download a linux iso
- deactivate swap
- replace swap partition with ISO contents
- modify contents to auto install linux with settings from wizard
- add boot entry to boot from old swap / modified ISO
- reboot
- install linux with a nice progress animation
- move user data from C:/ to other partition
- replace C:/ with linux
- install alternatives to programs found on windows (firefox for edge, gimp for paint, inkscape for ..., libreoffice for MS office, etc.)
- move user data to
/home/$username
- configure DE with theme (gnome for macos look, kde with theme for windows look)
- other customisations
- reboot into linux
Dunno if this is feasible in the best case scenario.
Anti Commercial-AI license
Looks interesting, thank you. The biggest difference I can see here is the installation to virtual drive on an NTFS partition. But it's good to know that a lot of the work has been done. Probably one could go a little further and not use a virtual drive.
Why bad old days?
Anti Commercial-AI license
Looong time ago, and the linux world wasnt anywhere near stable and polished as it is now (neither was Windows either if we are being honest with ourselves).
I vaguely recall using something like that and trashing both OS installs.
Resizing partitions live is very dangerous, which is why normally its done from a bootable CD or USB. Doing it live from Windows wont be easy. And if you have to boot into a usb or dvd environment, may as well just use the regular installation media?
Recently I got a new PC with Windows, and it could resize its partition without problems. You can do it even with Powershell. I don't know how dangerous it is, but with the whole "copying user data" I would hope that the installer would advise users to create a full backup anyway.