http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/item/72/
I propose that the popup tells him which application(s) is(are) using the device and propose to terminate them (that list should be kept up to date when the app. dies).

[4881 votes] Solution #1: Auto-generated solution of idea #72


[35 votes] Solution #2: Unmount timer


]]> en-us Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:35:22 +0000 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:42:16 +0000 QAPoll module http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/72/ Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:52:07 +0000 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:55:09 +0000 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 20:48:00 +0000
http://lwn.net/Articles/241889/
http://lwn.net/Articles/262377/
http://lwn.net/Articles/262528/

With this, relatively sane forced unmount would be possible.]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:57:52 +0000
If it's not obvious to them from their running programs then whats the point. And if its something like /usr/bin/smdb, then what is telling them going to accomplish.

Furthermore this works the same way now as removing devices in use in Windows and OS X. I just don't see the point to change it to give the user information that wont be useful.]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:44:45 +0000 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-volume-manager/+bug/81239
Excerpt:

---
Sometimes however for reasons unknown to me, something prevents me from unmounting it (right-clicking the icon for the disk on the desktop and selecting "Unmount Volume"). I don't know what and am not sure how to find out what because the error message is not very helpful:

Cannot unmount volume
an application is preventing the volume from being unmounted.

What would be nice is if it would identify the app(s) and ask if I want them closed and the drive unmounted.
---]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:49:30 +0000
This is the kind of usability enhancement than I think would fit in really well with what I think of as the best in ubuntu. And it really is aggravating when you can't figure out what is causing the problem.]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:06:18 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:31:12 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:51:06 +0000
I know enough in Linux to have used the lsof command against /media/disk to see which application is preventing the volume from being unmounted. I have determined there is a single file descriptor and that the file has been opened in read mode. I have determined that the application preventing the volume from being unmounted is Nautilus itself. And none of this helps me.

The file is a simple text file. I don't have the file open, I have not accessed the file in Nautilus and I can see no reason why the file has been opened by Nautilus. I just want it unmounted.

Sure I understand that the file was opened in read mode and I can just go ahead and remove the drive. Or I can logout of my session and log back in again, therefore starting a new instance of Nautilus. I could probably even kill Nautilus and have the Gnome Session Manager start a new instance, redrawing my desktop in the process.

However, none of this is user friendly. I should simply be able to select the Unmount option from the menu, be presented with the name of the application(s) accessing the file and be given an option to force the unmount process. Done.

Thanks again for the suggestion and thanks for taking the time to read my post. I hope this idea is given consideration by the Ubuntu development team.]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:19:21 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:20:06 +0000
also, it would be great if the same right-click-unmount behaviour could be applied to the "places" tab. i always end up looking for the "right" icon to unmount.]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:33:16 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:32:58 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:41:29 +0000
Great Idea!]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:53:22 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:39:20 +0000

I'm all for simplicity, but consider this: what if the user has unsaved changed in OOo for files on the drive? Silently killing *some unknown application[s]* sounds dangerous to me.]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:10:51 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:47:44 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:49:39 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:21:19 +0000 ]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:29:37 +0000 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:35:44 +0000 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:14 +0000 that close the aplications using the device.]]> Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:18 +0000 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:44:10 +0000
For instance,
"Not finished saving the following file(s):
Report.odt (4kb unsaved)
Slideshow.odp (100kb unsaved)
Filesystem (FAT32) unsaved

Data Loss Will Occur Unless The Device Is Plugged Back In"]]> Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:11:06 +0000
Now with all the hotpluggable and removable media such as dvd:s and usb disks it's just not acceptable that you can't get your cd out or can't remove your USB stick without fiddling with commands like lsof or fuser as root.
I have even experienced situations when neither fuser nor lsof (which usually is more reliable) could find any open files on the disk i wanted to remove, so i had to reboot the system to free the (mysterious) disk references.

I think the kernel should have a new signal (SIGEJECT) to send to all the processes that have open files, then wait a few seconds for them to save their data before terminating the processes that still has open files and then unmounting and perhaps ejecting the media.

Lots of applications had to become SIGEJECT aware but the ones that weren't would simply terminate without saving.

Also i think programs like konqueror and nautilus should be coded so they always release the files they open as soon the user closes a wiev of a file or folder. Now you often have to restart them to close all the used files.
]]> Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:43:41 +0000 Mon, 03 Mar 2008 14:52:14 +0000 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:54 +0000 Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:03:25 +0000 i.e choose between fuser -m /filesystem or fuser -mk /filesystem]]> Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:52:04 +0000
For example, Nautilus, Rhythmbox and OpenOffice can all tell DeviceKit that they are using files on a USB drive, then when the user requests to unmount it Nautilus can change directory away (to Home or Computer or something), OpenOffice can ask the user whether they wish to save their document and Rhythmbox can silently remove the no-longer-accessible files from the playlist.

The big problem with this idea is that it relies on applications adopting the standard, but whilst many niche programs may never get this support, the most-used, default, actively maintained and popular programs will, eg. standard GNOME, KDE, OpenOffice, AbiWord, Inkscape, GIMP, Gnumeric, Amarok, Exaile, etc. and these are the programs most likely to cause problems when removing a drive (ie. the number of programs which don't have such support AND which are widely used AND are in the hands of users who don't know about closing files before removing drives AND are used with files on removable drives AND cannot attract the interest of a developer to add the feature would be quite small)]]> Thu, 08 May 2008 14:41:25 +0000 http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/1515/

NOT the same thing at all.. And its obvious]]> Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:51:38 +0000 http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=528559]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:57:02 +0000 If so great because I used it all the time, and I am needing it now in Linux!]]> Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:51:09 +0000 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:42:18 +0000
This situation has happened to me several times: The power goes out. I my external hard drive on an emergency battery backup which will last maybe 4-8 minutes. This drive WILL be shut off, regardless of how hard the OS protests that "an application" would like for it to stay mounted.

It's just a terrible "I'm sorry, I can't do that, Dave" situation when I request an unmount and ubuntu says No. I'm about to reboot my machine just so I can unplug my drive... this is ridiculous.]]> Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:47:27 +0000 I'm thinking about just having a script that will kill nautilus, wait 3 seconds, and then open my home folder.

I'm finding Nautilus rather more buggy under jaunty than it was previously.]]> Sun, 07 Jun 2009 10:07:50 +0000
Same as pandaking: the Unlocker tool has done a lot to salvage what little sanity Microsoft left me. You can see it here: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker

Did everyone promptly leave and upgrade to XP?]]> Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:39:59 +0000 http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1177702
When shutting down I (always) get this message
"
mount: / busy
mount: / busy
"
yes it is there twice in a row.

It would be nice if mount/umount would display to the command line what is preventing a proper mount/umount.
If mount/umount said what was preventing a proper mount/umount, it would be alot easier to figure out what's going on during shutdown.
This could be added on as a mount/umount argument, or mount/umount could just default to work this way.

p.s. feel free to respond to the ubuntu thread.
]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:55:44 +0000 https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=528559
Modified: 2008-11-17 04:21 UTC

From the point of usability this feature is VERY important. If a new user try Ubuntu and when he was to unmount his usb key receives a not legible message, I think he won't talk very good of ubuntu.
The Ubuntu team could help gnome developers implementing this feature and sending them for approval.]]> Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:28:17 +0000