[SLE] How would you like hotplugged USB drive mounting to work?

From: Chris Carlen (crcarle_at_sandia.gov)
Date: 05/24/04

  • Next message: Marcus Meissner: "Re: [SLE] How would you like hotplugged USB drive mounting to work?" 
    Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 14:17:17 -0700
To: suse-linux-e <suse-linux-e@suse.com>

    Folks:

    This is driving me bonkers. I tried editing my
    /etc/hotplug/hotplug.subfs.functions file to the way shown in Sjoerd's
    reply to my "Why does USB drive mount automagically?" thread.

    As anticipated, the result of this is that USB storage devices are no
    longer automounted, but then can only be mounted by root. This could be
    partially dealt with by adding a line in /etc/fstab, but this is not a
    good solution because the device name isn't guaranteed when using these
    USB hotplugged devices.

    Thus, I am curious to get some sort of feedback from you folks about how
    this *should* work.

    Here is what happens with the default 9.1 installed system:

    1. User plugs in USB storage device.
    2. KDE Konqueror window automatically pops up with display of device
    contents. A mount point in /media has been automatically generated.
    3. When user is done, he tried to unmount by going to Konqueror's
    "devices" right clicking on the device, and selecting "unmount" to which
    the system complains that he is not root.
    4. User unplugs device not knowing if the file buffer is flushed or not.
    5. Window disappears. Mount point dir disappears.

    We hope all went well. The only real problem here is that Suse didn't
    allow the user to unmount the device. Here is my proposal for a well
    thought-out setup with some options for different user preferences
    instead of "Bill G. knows best how you shall compute" :

    OPTION 1 (fully automatic, but user unmountable):

    1. User plugs in USB storage device. System automatically mounts
    device on automatically created mount point dir.
    2. KDE Konqueror window automatically pops up pointed to the mount path
    with a display of device contents.
    3. When user is done, he unmounts by going to Konqueror's "devices"
    right clicking on the device, and selecting "unmount". Alternatively
    the power user can umount it at the command prompt.
    4. Window disappears. Mount point dir disappears.

    This setup is also KDE transparent. It should be an option in KDE that
    causes the Konq. window to appear or not. But the automounting and user
    manual unmounting will satisfy the non-KDE user as well.

    OPTION 2 (fully manual mounting, automatic mount point creation and
    /etc/fstab entry creation):

    1. User plugs in USB storage device. System automatically creates
    mount point dir in /media, and adds a line to /etc/fstab to allow user
    to mount manually.
    2. User can go to Konqueror's "devices," right click on the device, and
    select "mount". Contents of device may now be browsed and used as a
    normal part of the filesystem under /media/thingy_name
    3. When user is done, he unmounts by going to Konqueror's "devices"
    right clicking on the device, and selecting "unmount". Alternatively
    the power user can umount it at the command prompt.
    4. Mount point disappears.

    Other options anyone?

    My final points:

    1. Suse didn't design handling of hotplugged storage devices very well.
      It is very close to being a good system, but the failure to allow
    users to unmount is an unfortunate oversight.

    2. There are also inconsistencies in the whole user interface to these
    devices. In the 9.1 User Guide section on digital cameras it says a KDE
    icon shoud appear on the desktop when you plug in a USB camera. But a
    USB storage device pops a Konq. window ?

    Which way Suse? Please make up your mind and quit changing it with each
    version, or worse having different devices handled different ways.

    3. Offer the ability to configure this stuff in Yast. We should at
    least be able to choose between options 1 and 2 described above. More
    fine grained configuration options would be even better.

    4. There is no documentation on hotplug, Suseplugger, etc. Fortunately
    there is at least a manpage for submount. There should be a large
    chapter in the books about this stuff, explaining in detail how to make
    the system behave in exactly the way the user wants.

    THAT is what can make this thing better than the "competition".

    Input would be appreciated.

    Good day! 

    -- 
____________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
crcarle@sandia.gov
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