[OT] Re: [Usability] tools on the desktop

[Alan Horkan <horkana maths tcd ie>]

On Sun, 31 Jul 2005, Jason Hoover wrote:

> Date: Sun, 31 Jul 2005 20:30:37 -0400
> From: Jason Hoover <jasonhoover verizon net>
> To: usability gnome org
> Subject: Re: [Usability] tools on the desktop
>
>
> > > The problem is that the software is caching data, actually. It's
> > > buffering the write to disk, so the data might not actually be synced
> > > yet when the user pulls the plug, since the writes are async. :)
>
> Any distro worth it's weight in CD's has sync writes on by default for
> removable/hot-plug volumes for that very reason.
>
> > What I dont understand is how Microsoft thought it was a good idea to
> > implement things the way they did.  I really dont want Gnome to prevent
> > users from unplugging they device without first unmounting it throught
> > their computer.  Warnings about having to hit onscreen buttons to safely
> > remove USB devices are really annoying.  I should only be need warned if a
> > transfer is actually happening and then and only then be told the transfer
> > is incomplete and data will be lost if I dont reinsert the device so the
> > transfer can be completed.
>
> They have the same problem, you're supposed to unmount volumes the same
> way for the same reasons, to make sure everything is synced, to make
> sure no other programs try to write the disk (MS word auto-backup) and
> the like. It just so happens that no one likes un-mounting floppies so
> there's always been an exception there.
>
> You should also have to un-mount cds for similar reasons (see how many
> games like it when you just eject a cd-rom during a read operation).
> Heck, in windows 9x, ejecting during a read got you a BSOD. But for the
> same reasons, there's an exception.

It got you a blue screen but it was not a Blue Screen of Death, usually it
requested you put the disk back in.  Windows 2000 complains about you
removing USB drives without first unmounting them even if you are finished
writing to them.  The techincal details dont make me hate the behaviour
any less.

> > Windows really sucks rocks here as far as I'm concerned so my concern
> > is to avoid something similarly awful and annoying being implmented for
> > Gnome/Linux/whatever.
>
> Hehcehehc hehehe. Yeah! Sucks rocks! Hchehehe hecheh.

For future reference the full expression is "Sucks rocks, through a
hose-pipe".

> > The Windows whining is particularly annoying.  I hope the MacOS version is
> > good enough that you can interrupt a file transfer but safely resume it by
> > reinserting the USB drive.
>
> Nope. It just chastises you for removing it without dragging it to the
> trash. No hope of fixing it. Same underlying reasons, same problems.
>
> Can we at least come to some agreement about how the trash is a stupid
> metaphor but we should allow people to use it anyway? All the reasons

I was pretty sure most of us had come to that conclusion, however it does
not change the fact that Gnome is not a democracy and the Nautilus
maintainer has declined to implement the suggestion and shown no sign of
changing his mind.  I am investigating other possibilities but I do not
see much point in debating this further or annoying the Nautilus
maintainer about it.  A better bet might be to get your distributor to
apply a suitable patch to Nautilus.  The alternatives are worth
investigating too irrespective of contentious Trash to Eject issue.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan
http://advogato.org/person/AlanHorkan/