The file manager supports all removable media that have the following characteristics:
The removable media has an entry in the /etc/fstab file. The /etc/fstab file describes the file systems that the computer uses.
The user option is specified in the entry for the removable media in the /etc/fstab file.
A hotplug daemon detects and auto mounts USB mass storage devices such as cameras, sticks, and flash memory readers inside the /mnt or /media locations.
The file manager supports the following removable media:
Floppy diskette
CD-ROM
Digital Video Disc (DVD)
USB devices
When the file manager detects a new media, an object for the media is added to the desktop. You can display the contents of the media in a file manager window. You can drag-and-drop files and folders between removable media. You cannot format media that is read-only, such as CD-ROM.
When you access media, the file system of the media is attached as a subdirectory to your file system. An object that represents the removable media device is present on the desktop background. Systems that have removable media devices installed always display the relevant object on the desktop, regardless of whether any media is detected in the device.
To access media, perform the following steps:
Insert the media into the appropriate device.
Double-click on the device object in the desktop background to access the media.
Alternatively, perform the following steps:
Double-click on the This Computer object.
Double-click on the device containing the media from the This Computer window.
Hotplug automatically configures USB removable storage devices when you connect them to your computer. An object that represents the device is added to the desktop background and inside This Computer. You can double-click these objects to access the USB removable storage devices.
You cannot change the name of a removable media object.
You can display media contents in any of the following ways:
Double-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop background.
Right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop background, then choose Open.
A file manager window displays the contents of the media. To reload the display, click on the Reload button.
To display the properties of removable media, right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop background, then choose Properties. A dialog displays the basic properties of the media.
To close the properties dialog, click Close.
The following table describes the Basic elements on the Media Properties dialog:
Dialog Element |
Description |
---|---|
Name |
Displays the name assigned to the media. |
Type |
Displays the type of media. |
Contents |
Displays the contents of the media. |
Location |
Displays the file path assigned to the media. |
Volume |
Displays the name of the volume assigned to the media. |
Free Space |
Displays the free space available on the media. |
Modified |
Displays the date that the media was last modified. |
Select the Emblems tab to assign an emblem to the media icon.
To view permissions information on the media, select the Permissions tab. The following table describes the Permissions elements on the Media Properties dialog:
Dialog Element |
Description |
---|---|
File Owner |
Displays the name of the user that owns the file. |
File Group |
Displays the name of the group that owns the file. |
Read/Write/Execute check boxes |
Displays the read/write/execute permissions for Owner/Group/Others. |
Special Flags |
Displays the Set user ID, Set group ID, and Sticky check boxes set for the media. |
Text view |
Displays the drwxrwxrwx string that corresponds to the Read/Write/Execute check boxes. |
Number view |
Displays the octal string that corresponds to the Read/Write/Execute check boxes. |
Last changed |
Displays the date that the media was last modified. |
Select the Notes tab to assign a note to the media icon.
Click Close to close the Media Properties dialog.
To format media
is to prepare the media for use with a particular file system. You can use
the Floppy Formatter
utility to format floppy diskettes.
When you format media, you overwrite any existing information on the media.
To format a floppy diskette, perform the following steps:
Insert the diskette in the diskette drive.
To access the Floppy Formatter utility, click Launch, then choose Applications -> Utilities-> Floppy Formatter. A Floppy Formatter dialog is displayed.
Select your format options in the Floppy Formatter dialog. The following table describes the elements on the dialog:
Click Format to format the diskette.
To eject CD-ROMs and DVDs, right-click on the media object, then choose Eject.
To remove a floppy diskette from the drive, wait until the data is written, then eject the media manually from the drive.
To disconnect USB devices, right-click on the media object, then choose Prepare for Removal to sync the data to the device. This ensures that all data on the media is synchronized and no data is lost. You can now disconnect the USB device from your computer.