Ubuntu

Warn users that they have to unmount USB devices

Bug #25596 reported by Mumbo Jumbo
6
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
Ubuntu
Invalid
Medium
Unassigned

Bug Description

Users will never learn to unmount prior to pulling out their portable USB flash
devices.

I'm aware of bug 20717. However, bug 20717 asks for the sync option to be turned
on. That's the wrong thing to ask for. ;)

Maybe this should be filed against the kernel to have sync fixed? I don't know.
I just know there's an end user problem and that other OS:es has it working
(right?). If they behave the same way as described in bug 20717 with sync turned
on... it should, IMHO, be turned on.

Revision history for this message
Dennis Kaarsemaker (dennis) wrote :

It's simple

* Sync turned on writes often, which is not a bug but wears out the flash
* Sync turned off means a user has to unmount
* Other OS'es (eg windows) also have this 'Safely remove' required thing

Closing as invalid.

Revision history for this message
Mumbo Jumbo (mumbojumbo) wrote :

What do you mean by "Other OS'es (eg windows) also have this 'Safely remove'
required thing"? I haven't used an usb storage device with neither Windows or
MacOS so I don't know how it works there. Do you mean one have to do something
similar to unmount? If so, yes, I agree, close this bug as invalid.

If Windows and MacOS behave the same way that Linux does with no sync I also
think this should be closed as invalid.

If they don't...

Revision history for this message
Mumbo Jumbo (mumbojumbo) wrote :

Also, you seem very hung up on sync in it's current form. Are you telling me
sync can't be fixed to behave more sanely when it comes to usb storage devices?

Revision history for this message
Mumbo Jumbo (mumbojumbo) wrote :

OK then, I think I've had "Safely remove" in windows adequately explained to me
now. How about doing something similiar in Ubuntu?

As I said at the top, asking for the sync option to be turned on is the wrong
thing to ask for. Warning the user in some way that all data might not be
transfered and giving them the option to force it would also do. (At least it's
better than nothing at all.)

Revision history for this message
Mumbo Jumbo (mumbojumbo) wrote :

How does OS X behave?

Revision history for this message
Sitsofe Wheeler (sitsofe) wrote :

This looks like a dupe of Bug #20717 .

Revision history for this message
Chris Weiss (cweiss) wrote :

windows does have "safely remove", but it also does sync so all it really does is complain if there are open file handles on the device.

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