My /dev/hda
Code:
Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1               1        4255    34178255+  83  Linux
/dev/hda2            4256        4741     3903795    b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda3            4742        4865      996030    5  Extended
/dev/hda5            4742        4865      995998+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
I booted Knoppix 3.9 & ran qtparted. It did not even allow me to select the resize option.

I then booted the system with Debian 3.1r0a CD #1 (650MB ISO file)with the bootime cheat code:
linux26

I then proceeded through to the partitioner program and selected the hda1 35GB partition. I was able to resize it from 35GB to 28GB & created 7GB of free space. Then I choose to format it with ext3 & use it as a root filesystem. Then I continued the install all the way to the end.
When I logged in as root, I checked fdisk.

Code:
Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1               1        3404    27342598+  83  Linux
/dev/hda2            4256        4741     3903795    b  W95 FAT32
/dev/hda3            4742        4865      996030    5  Extended
/dev/hda4            3405        4255     6835657+  83  Linux
/dev/hda5            4742        4865      995998+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order
So it is possible to resize a hda1 ext3fs filesystem, just not with qtparted but with the Debian installer partitioner. If you want to use the Debian partitioner just like I did, then you can download http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/...86-netinst.iso 105MB and not the 650MB ISO file from above.
I hope this helps.
James