mikeywikey,
Thanks for the feedback. I admit I'm not a linux guru, just an admin. In fact, I knew I was taking a chance with a title like "the easy way", but I want to address that and other issues you raised because I think they ARE important for readers here to understand - so they can form their own opinions and decide for themselves:
1. The guide is not called "the fastest", "the best" , or "the easiest", because I know from experience that someone will always find a better/faster/cheaper way.
2. This howto plainly states at the beginning who it is for - also at the end. It's written in a humble fashion with all credit given to the real gurus that figured it out before me. This is for beginners and intermediate users.
3. It's not a "one-size-fits-all" solution nor does it try to be. I list my reasons and WHY at the top of this wiki.
4. MISLEADING? Are you serious? Try reading the other howtos, and then try FOLLOWING them…. good luck. MANY leave out little steps or are unclear about which versions of software need to be used. My howto isn't perfect, but I try to do as much hand-holding as possible without insulting the reader.
5. External USB - easier? Did you try this WITHOUT instaling other software? I did - it's MESSY. Try explaining that to a total newbie. If you have an easy way to share, please do and I will GLADLY update this guide. I do agree with your point that it could be easier IF the USB will mount read/write easily without tons of commands and software installed. I was trying to keep the command line entries to a minimum. It's easier to tell a newbie to drag-n-drop then go have a coffee , than it is to say: "type this, this and this and configure this, and install this".
6. "EASY" is about perspective. It's totally subjective because your and my "easy way" might not be the same. "Easy" in my case was for a general user. A guru or admin doesn't really need a howto because they are gurus. Right? I wrote this for general users and I put that at the top of the wiki entry from the beginning.
7. Boot Ubuntu? On what computer? What version? What if they get the wrong version? Now you've gone WAY outside general knowledge of the basic user. This also makes the wiki MUCH harder to write and follow in my opinion. Then there are concerns about which version, and which version of utility works with which hardware, drives, etc. My guide was meant to be more universal. I also stated that a "spare computer" was not an option for me.
8a. I like your 7-step howto and I wish it was that easy. It's NOT. If it was, do you think I would write a 20 plus step howto? What about the other HOWTO's - have you read them? See how long they are and IF they even number the steps. I am open to changes that will make mine simpler/clearer and therefore more useful to a wider audience, however, it's just not that easy.
8b. I see you've been a member for 12 days. Is that correct? If so, I invite you to write a howto. Experience is the best teacher. You'll see how much work goes into it.
9. Thank you for the update on 2TB drives. I wasn't sure if they would work or not. I only advised that I had seen comments on this wiki that 1.5TB drives work. Again, thank you for the valuable info. :-)
10. As for your idea using 2 NAS devices, YES, I agree it could be a good solution - albeit one that is beyond the budget of many. For example, in Poland this NAS costs over 700 PLN while the average monthly salary is 2000 PLN. Buying two would wreck one's budget. Can you imagine? Besides, it is FAR beyond the scope of this article. This HOWTO was written expressly for those that have made the decision to upgrade the HDD's in their MBWE2 blue light NAS. It is not to debate the advantages of RAID1 over RAID0, or debate one VS two NAS devices……
Thanks again for the feedback. None of this is meant to attack you or others. It is simply to defend my position and so that other readers will get a better understanding of why I wrote the howto the way I did. As I mentioned in the first lines of the wiki, this is simply a journal of my experience doing the upgrade in my own way. I could very well be totally wrong. I accept that, although I DO want to correct errors and make it as EASY as possible. Even if it means re-thinking the entire procedure. I also think that discussion and debate of this is a VERY good thing. In my experience, this is usually how the better solutions come about. That being said, I ENCOURAGE more users/readers to write messages back just like you did so we find the truly EASY way of doing this.
Thanks again! :-)
tyrelPL