USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

moxin · 2017-03-30 05:34:16

I have a simple Arch linux setup with Openbox and Thunar as my file manager.
I have installed Thunar volmanager which automounts the USB devices correctly but i have an issue that when i copy file(s) to USB the progess bar is fast and finishes before the copying process is finished.
I think it only shows the progress of copying the said file to RAM and closes there while the actual copy to USB is taking place in the background and i can't umount my USB during that process as it's still blinking.
Can i change this behavior so i can see the correct progress bar, i have heard that i can use "sync" or "flush" options with automount, i need this very badly as i lost some critical data due to this.

Lone_Wolf · 2017-03-30 09:15:26

The sync option only works with ext2, ext3, fat, vfat and ufs.
Flush is even less supported and only works on fat-type filesystems.
Whether setting those options will keep the progressbar visible until finished is anybody's guess.

Many progress bars have this behaviour, safest way i found is to manually eject or unmount the media before unplugging.

this explains how to do that in thunar.

Last edited by Lone_Wolf (2017-03-30 09:15:40)

moxin · 2017-03-30 13:09:14

My USB is formatted to NTFS, cause i go back and forth with my Windows clients.
I unmount my USB drive safely using Thunar cause it keeps the USB on hold until the unfinished copy is in progress.
The disaster strikes when my client's PEN drive was copying data and it has no blinking lights, i thought the copy process has finished and unmounted the drive and Thunar kept me on hold, i thought it was doing something else so i pulled it out and found out there was nothing copied.
I really do need something like a progress bar or some warning that the copy process is currently underway, it doesn't happen to me on Windows.

c00ter · 2017-03-30 15:34:39

"I have a simple Arch linux setup with Openbox and Thunar as my file manager."
"it doesn't happen to me on Windows."

If you want a more Windows-like experience in Arch you may want to consider using a DE or a different file manager. You can get any type of notification behaviour you would like in Arch, but you may have to up your game to get it.

Trilby · 2017-03-30 15:47:59

moxin wrote:

Thunar kept me on hold... I really do need ... some warning that the copy process is currently underway

Uhm ....

So Thunar gave you a warning, but you ignored it and removed the device anyways. Perhaps you really need a progress bar or a huge blinking neon sign, but I don't think it's fair to include the clause "or some warning" when you were given fair warning but ignored it.

I don't know that there's any trivial way to make thunar do this for you. You could modify the code yourself to do this, or perhaps as suggested above, use a DE that is more "user friendly".

tpfkanep · 2017-03-30 18:23:46

Why not try xfe...? It has a Progress bar.

seth · 2017-03-30 18:31:48

To get to the original issue: you can use sync with "automounting" but you need to explain *how* you automount in particular (for there are many approaches)

Also it's frankly a plain stupid idea to begin with: it will reduce the lifetime of explicitly NAND memory for pretty much sure.

And also sync I/O does not magically allow you to just unplug memory keys at will; any real filesystem (and NTFS ;-) will record this incident and trigger or ask for an integrity check from then on (you may be aware that windows has a "remove securely" or so popup menu entry for your usb drive as well...) - just don't do that. "Eject" the key/disc and wait until the system tells you "ready to go", anything else is simply an EBKAC.

moxin · 2017-04-01 06:01:00

the behavior is same between many File managers and DE's
I unplug it sometimes cause Tumbler thumbnail preview has a tendency to not respond.
I have yet to try XFE and ROX-Filer, maybe those file managers have correct progress bar functionality

seth · 2017-04-01 06:07:07

The progress bars behavior *is* correct, all of them act correctly. From the userspace POV this IO *does* run very fast (because it's only recorded, the source preserved and then things get scheduled for later)

moxin · 2017-04-03 04:13:45

i needed copy dialog so i can stop the copying process anytime during copy, but it seems linux has this progress bar to only show during the copy to RAM.
Guess i have to live with that, thanks everyone.

seth · 2017-04-03 06:27:48

a) copying HUUUGE files should see interim flushes anyway (where the speed stalls while the data is actually written) - delaying those "dialogs"
b) if you had told us *how* you "automount", you've had a chance for an answer on how to inject a sync or flush into the options ... In theory, this could even happen per device/type. *shrug*

moxin · 2017-04-03 10:56:16

i am using Thunar as daemon mode and have Thunar volmanager installed. USB automounts correctly.
i Googled here and there to find some are using "flush" or "sync" options to keep a check on copying progress. Seems that Thunar is using udisks2 by default

seth · 2017-04-03 15:19:45

Ah, the wonderful gvfs/udisks2/outusersareallidiots land ... look into udiskie if you don't care what automounts for you
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=184798

moxin · 2017-04-04 03:57:56

well this might actually work, will let you know ASAP

Arch Linux

#1 2017-03-30 05:34:16

USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#2 2017-03-30 09:15:26

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#3 2017-03-30 13:09:14

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#4 2017-03-30 15:34:39

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#5 2017-03-30 15:47:59

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#6 2017-03-30 18:23:46

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#7 2017-03-30 18:31:48

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#8 2017-04-01 06:01:00

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#9 2017-04-01 06:07:07

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#10 2017-04-03 04:13:45

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#11 2017-04-03 06:27:48

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#12 2017-04-03 10:56:16

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#13 2017-04-03 15:19:45

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

#14 2017-04-04 03:57:56

Re: USB automounted don't show the correct progress bar during copy

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