[Bug 21591] New: HAL does not set synchronous mode on removable media

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Ubuntu | hal

           Summary: HAL does not set synchronous mode on removable media
           Product: Ubuntu
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: i386
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: hal
        AssignedTo: martin.pitt at ubuntu.com
        ReportedBy: luke at 3degreemedia.com
         QAContact: desktop-bugs at lists.ubuntu.com


ubuntu: 5.10
HAL: 0.5.3-0ubuntu14
device tested: Lexar Jump Drive PD128-00-522
(this is assumed to apply to other removable media)

By default, all removable media is mounted in async mode.  When writing to the
device under gnome, it will appear as though all the data has already been
written to the media, when it may be only partially written or not at all.  If a
user then removes the media, the changes will be lost at best or corrupted at
worst.  It is possible to force users to unmount media before removing it in the
case of CD's and other lockable media, but for things like USB mass storage
devices, this is impossible.  It would be better in the case of removable media
which don't support locking or where locking is not guarenteed to mount the
media in synchronous mode to ensure that the media is in a consistent state when
the gui reports that it is finished writing changes.  The example file in
/etc/hal/fdi/policy/preferences.fdi shows how to lock removable media under 1GB,
however larger USB media are becomming verry common.  It would be best to mount
anything that is attached via USB or another easily removable bus as
synchronous, regardless of size.  This does slow down performance greatly, but
having writes appear to finish quickly is not usefull if the data isn't actually
on the device.

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