switching devices on&off - general misunderstanding?

[Tobias Baldauf]

Hi all!

One thing that keeps me from using (K)ubuntu as my daily OS is
definetely that when I plug in my usb-stick two times during one
session, it is first device sda1 and the second time sda2. Or maybe sda
and then sdb. The titles don't matter that much.

Another example: I've got a hardware-switch for my wireless-card on my
laptop. When I switch it on for the first time, everything runs smoothly
and out-of-the-box. When I switch it off and later on again, nothing
works - I believe because the wlan-card is a different device the second
time.

Same holds true for bluetooth: When it is switched on it works like a
charm the first time (which is a rare thing alltogether!) but when the
bluetooth-device is switched off and then on again, it doesn't work anymore.

I think this holds true for all 'removable' devices... printers,scanners
etc.

Why does the OS behave like that? Is this to some advantage I don't see?
I'd like to plug in a usb-harddrive, have fstab handle the rules, shut
it down & switch it on later for another time because I forgot to copy
something. Why is a simple procedure made so complicated? I really don't
see the reason why these device-labels switch all the time...Can't I
'forbid' the OS to do so?

Maybe this is the most stupid question I have posted here so far - but
I've been wondering this for a long time now...

Thanks for your efforts to make me understand that system!

Greets,

tobias