Re: Round two mPlayer -- Red Hat "Step-by-Step Guide"

["Bryan J. Smith" <b.j.smith@ieee.org>]

On Sat, 2005-10-15 at 10:27 -0500, Bryan J. Smith wrote:
> Of course not!  Linux, like MacOS, will _refuse_ a digital eject if the
> media is in use or mounted.  Linux further enforces security on who
> mounted it, and someone who presses the eject button is _not_ someone
> who can be authenticated as the owning user.
>   ...
> First off, in GNOME (at least on Red Hat systems), the mounted device is
> on the desktop, just like MacOS.  If you right click and tell it to
> unmount, then it should eject.

First off, just like in Windows, you'll want to configure how Linux
[GNOME] handles different types of removable storage by default when it
is inserted.  I'm sure you have, just like I have, gotten frustrated
with Windows' defaults with certain devices and had to change the
Windows defaults.  Same deal in Linux [GNOME]:  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/s1-desktop-customize.html#S2-CUSTOM-REMOVABLE  

Also, as of kernel 2.6 (Fedora Core 2+, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4+),
removable devices are mounted in /media per the Filesystem Hierarchy
Standard (FHS) 2.3+ (no longer /mnt).

You'll want to read up here:  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/ch-disks.html  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/s1-disks-cdrom.html  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/s1-disks-cdrw.html  

> Secondly, also in GNOME, you can add an "applet" to manage various
> drives.  You simply click it to mount/unmount as that user.  No fuss, no
> issues -- *UNLESS* some application is using that device.
> From the age-old Red Hat Linux 6.1 manual (yes, it's been around 6+
> years):  
>   http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-6.1-Manual/getting-started-guide/appletsutil.html#APPLETSDRIVE  

Again, that manual is pretty old, and /media (instead of /mnt) is where
more "user" media is mounted.  General [GNOME] "desktop usage" is
covered here:  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/ch-desktop.html

And it can't hurt to go through the "Step-By-Step Guide":  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/

And start exploring the panel and its applets (such as the drive
applet):  
  http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/step-guide/s1-desktop-panel.html  

UNIX/Linux, let alone MacOS/X, is _not_ Windows.  There are reasons why
UNIX/Linux does things the way it does (and MacOS/X bests Windows in
those regards too).  It's important to understand why, and correctly
accommodate those reasons.  The #1 thing I hear Windows users
ask/complain about when they first use a Mac is "How the heck do I eject
my floppy/CD?" and their typical response to the answer "That's stupid,
they should just put a button the system!"

A CD/DVD drive's digital eject can be either handled properly or
improperly by an OS.  Windows chooses to handle it in a very unsafe way.
It might be tolerable for most Windows system to blue screen, crash or
otherwise cause problems, because most users are used to rebooting.  But
in UNIX/Linux, and even MacOS/X (when it comes to media), control,
security and stability are paramount.

-- Bryan

P.S.  I know many Windows users are tempted to say, "Why should I read a
manual?  I didn't have to read a manual with Windows?!  In actuality,
you either read a manual or learn hands-on _regardless_ whether it is
UNIX/Linux, MacOS/X or Windows.  In fact, if you have *0* computer
usage, it's actually _easier_ to learn UNIX/Linux (or MacOS/X for that
matter) than if you've used Windows and assume "how a computer 'should
work'."  The #1 think I had to do with doing Linux training in the past
is "deprogram" people from Windows -- even MCSEs when it came to UNIX
networking fundamentals.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith     b.j.smith@ieee.org     http://thebs413.blogspot.com
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