New installation of FreeBSD with Debian dual boot

[AG]

Hello all

I'm looking to install FreeBSD 8.0 on my system today, where it would 
dual boot with Debian.  I have the *.iso all ready to go, so just wanted 
to check a couple of points before I log out of Debian and boot into the 
DVD to install.  Perhaps some veterans can advise me on the following:


(1) The Debian is the only OS on my system, so I will have to resize the 
partitions (I currently have /,  swap, and /home).  I am assuming that 
(after backing up) there shouldn't be any problems in doing so, but is 
the partition editor (i.e. the tools that one uses to allocate partition 
space) reasonably sane and plays nicely with a GNU/Linux distro?

(2) I use a Seagate FreeAgent USB drive to hold media files and back 
ups.  With Debian I had to edit some rules and install a driver for 
this.  What's the situation like under FreeBSD for supporting these 
kinds of external (NTFS) drives?

(3) If I wanted to share files between Debian and FreeBSD, aside from 
using a data stick are there any ways that I can access my Debian drive 
from FreeBSD and vice versa?

(4) I do intend to use the installation handbook, accessed via a 
different computer, while I install.  Are there any gotchas in FreeBSD 
8.0 (for i386 architectures) that aren't covered in the handbook?

Many thanks.  I hope that next time I contact this list it will be from 
my FreeBSD desktop.

Cheers

AG