Re: Floppy disk access in Gnome - followup.

[Ben FrantzDale <bfrantzdale hmc edu>]

I said it before, but let me reiterate: with a standard Mandrake
install, the floppy disk *just works*. So does the CDROM. The "user
interface" is exactly as it is in windows. I insert the disk, then look
at /mnt/floppy, and there's my disk. I push the button on the drive and
it's nolonger accessable.

--Ben

On Sat, 2001-10-27 at 03:34, George Farris wrote:
> 
> Whoo boy and floppy disk access in GNOME.
> 
> First off allow me to apologize for my venting the other day.I had just
> lost a perfect opportunity to install four linux remote terminals in the
> Library here at the college and lost it due to the floppy disk issue.I
> was mad, I vented and well... you all know the rest.
> 
> Now having said that I would like to respond to a number of things that
> came up in reply to my post.
> 
> (1)
> There was a comment that this is a linux kernel issue and that GNOME
> installs on more that just Linux. 
> 
> Yes you are of course correct, however, I was referring to Linux and
> GNOME and the issue of floppy disk access is not one of just the
> kernel.  Floppy disks are used by people, and generally through a UI of
> some type.  In our case it will be GNOME.  The OS and the desktop have
> to work together in order for this to happen.
> 
> For example: autofs and Nautilus don't always get along:-)
> 
> (2)
> The next comment was that "You don't have to mount floppies - just use
> tar with the raw device (/dev/rfloppy or whatever)."
> 
> Let us review the state of the desktop: In 90% of cases it is a Windows
> OS.  People are used to accessing removable devices in a certain way. 
> Now this may not be the "right" way according to UNIX thinking but it
> has the majority.  We need to be able to support this.  If we feel the
> need we can suggest when people use the floppy that there is a another
> way to do things but to remove their choice is not good.
> 
> (3)
> The next suggestion was to use mdir, mcopy etc.  Fine.  Can you imagine
> asking a student to save their word processing file to the hard drive,
> drop down to the command line and then use mcopy to copy the file to
> their floppy.  They would rebel in microseconds.  In short they just
> won't do it and don't want to hear about it.
> 
> (4)
> Mounting a floppy for general use in a computer lab is bad news,
> period!  Because we can pop the the diskette out without unmounting,this
> will never work.  Students forget their floppies in the drives all the
> time.  Someone comes along and pops out an already mounted floppy and
> boom, problem.
> 
> There must be an easy and I emphasize EASY way to to handle this
> situation, so,I put it to the list how can we accomplish these goals:
> 
> In any GNOME application.
> 1) Run application, create a document, graphic, whatever.
> 2) Insert diskette (no mounting, people won't do it).
> 3) Save directly to the floppy.
> 4) Pull diskette out and leave (no unmounting, people will forget to
> unmount).
> 
> >From Nautilus.
> 1) Insert diskette.
> 2) Open Nautilus window and view diskette contents.
> 3) Drag and drop or otherwise copy file to hard drive.
> 4) Eject diskette (no extra steps just hit the button).
> 
> >From Mozilla or Galeon.
> 1) Browse to web page.
> 2) Click "File->Save as"
> 3) Choose floppy drive.
> 4) Eject diskette and go. 
> 
> We must realize that the computer needs to be able to handle the steps
> of mounting and unmounting automatically with no errors, after all, that
> is what a computer does best, handle the jobs that we humans don't want
> to do.
> 
> This is a problem folks.  A desktop ease of use problem.  I think we
> would all like to see GNOME on peoples desktops but these and other user
> interface issues need to be addressed. 
> 
> Thank you all for your patience in this matter.
> 
> -- 
> George Farris - VE7FRG
> George gmsys com
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