I think Ubuntu needs a proper, pretty, functional, simple and friendly Graphical Interface to format Pen Drives and other Hot Plug devices. Because gParted and others do it really good but are generics, a lay person new on Linux or a lay person newly arrived from Windows™ can do serious data loss if he/she choose the wrong device on the partition table for example. And it only format, don't have any special feature to Pen Drives and other Hot Plugs. A Specific GUI (Graphical User Interface) only to Pen Drives and other Hot Plugs like Cellphones and MP3™ players would be so a great feature and help. With unique features like pass and covert videos - using existing codecs like mencode - to MP4™ players for example.
I think it is easy, just create some Glade, Gambas2 or Gazpacho + GTK, cause the features are already there, ready to become together. Like i said, a GUI that links directly to USB or Bluetooth on the System and identify only these devices, use already existing codecs, and already existing functions/commands like mkfs, lsusb and othes, and pop up it all friendly to the user, to let he/she choose safely what he/she want to do.
Edit: +add christopher_lees suggestion - "Right-click on the device and choose "Format Drive...", give it a name, give it a filesystem, and click Format. An absolute necessity."
kernel_script - Just add a gksu on that action and would be perfect.
Examples:
=Hot Plug Devices Config= (HPDC)
"That tool allow you to easy manage all your Hot Plug Devices like Pen Drives, Cellphones, MP3™ players, MP4™ players, Bluetooth Cellphones and others. You can easily and safely format these devices, convert you favorite videos and music for you MP3™ and MP4™ players, and, rip your CDs direct to these Devices"
And some example of tools that could be used:
mencoder, ffmpeg, some code fork from SoundConverter and Sound Juicer, or ,just click on the option on HPDC and call them, mount and umount options specifically for these devices and format options for these specific devices. (like just put some direct paths like mount or umount /media/sda etc)
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