[Bug 1549603] Re: Please document how users can return usb drive to a storage drive

[sudodus]

In a discussion I suggested that it would be a good alternative to
supply a tool to do it, to repartition and reformat the pendrive.

We think the best method would be to build that tool into the SDC, and
to access it via a button in the main window. The button can have the
text 'Restore a USB drive for data storage', and the target, the USB
drive is simply selected by the same box as is selectíng the target when
flashing the content of the iso file. It would be possible (but not
necessary) to let the user select a label.

So I took the bash script function mk_msdos from mkusb:

- modified it for this purpose
- wrapped it into a main program to make a verbose command line demo program, 'restore-pendrive'

The intention was to let some people test it. Four people have tested
this demo program, and it does what we expect it should do.

- One alternative is to use the function mk_msdos with a minimal main
program around it (not the verbose demo program we have now), and to
call it via a system call from the SDC.

- Another and maybe better alternative is to build it into the SDC. I
guess it means that it should be translated to python, and the echo
command lines should be removed or replaced.

- Of course it is still an alternative to provide information via that
button (or another button), but if the tool is there, we need no
detailed information.

-----
$ md5sum restore-pendrive
78f8727194210ab633eaff1b4fd1f5a7  restore-pendrive
-----

Grab the attached file and run it in a bash shell :-) See the
screenshots at the following link (post #13)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2314875&p=13446485#post13446485


** Attachment added: "restore-pendrive"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/usb-creator/+bug/1549603/+attachment/4582986/+files/restore-pendrive

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1549603

Title:
  Please document how users can return usb drive to a storage drive

Status in usb-creator package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  While sdc now works well it creates partitioning/formatting that the default installed Disks app cannot deal with. This will make it hard for users to return the usb drive to use as a storage device after using to install *buntu.
  Test case:
  Create a boot/install drive with sdc.
  Open Disks app & try to format the drive to a usable storage format or try to delete either of the 2 partitions sdc created.
  What happens : operations fail, see attached screens.

  One method that works requires users to install gparted, dismiss the
  error popups (disconcerting), then figure out they need to create a
  fresh partition table.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
  Package: usb-creator-gtk 0.3.2
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-6.21-generic 4.4.1
  Uname: Linux 4.4.0-6-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.20-0ubuntu3
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Wed Feb 24 23:09:12 2016
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2016-02-02 (22 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Alpha amd64 (20160131)
  SourcePackage: usb-creator
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

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