Spacefm

[melodie]

Now I started the program and looked : the partitions are all there in the upper part of the side pane, and it seems I can access normally. In fact I do. I can access to a nearby test install I have, I can access to a Windows partition I have, create a file. In the PCLOS test install I can access to the directories of the user provided the permissions on directories are the right ones. If permissions are 700 I can't, if they are 755 I can. So everything is as usual with my other file managers.

Conclusion, there is no need to touch the udisk configuration files at the moment in PCLinuxOS. This will be the big deal and new learnings the day it will be decided to get rid of HAL in the PCLinuxOS distribution (which I don't doubt will be a big work with quite a few packages to review).

I have configured the Preferences as shown in the error message, and I am not perfectly sure I did the best way. I don't understand all the meaning of the 2 lines related to root and editor, so I'll be back in a few minutes with 2 screenshots : before I configure, and then what I have setup.

Here before:


here my setting:


What are all the possibilities provided with these two lines related to "root" ?

Thank you.

PS: Just18, I am confirmed your KDE environment is not concerned, neither is Dolphin. It is our PolicyKit.conf file with the special PCLinuxOS configuration which rules them all !
(You could compare it with the one I setup in Edu, to limit priviledges related to internal disks access).

PS2 : while using it with the package done by Archie it had created a directory named after the UUID of my USB stick, in /media. After I installed by compiling with the "--enable-hal" switch in the configure, it was still there even after a reboot. I removed it as root. I rebooted (shutdown, then booted again) and now all seems to work correctly. I have started to change the "Category=" line in one of the destkop files to match the PCLinuxOS way (copied the one from another file manager). I still have to look at the 2 other desktop files from spacefm, to see what they do.

Archie : what about making a new package with --enable-hal as switch ? It looks like it is what we need ! Note that when this option is used, it automatically disables the support with udev. There is no conflict.

[IgnorantGuru]

Hi,
I start trying. With Archie's package I don't even see my internal partitions.

spacefm doesn't show internal partitions unless you right-click and check option Settings|Show Internal Drives.

To unmount the plugged in usb stick I am prompted for the root password. When I plug it in, I have a side entry which shows me twice the content ! One for the uuid, and once for "disk".

Not sure what you mean by this - a screenshot would help.  If you're seeing two lines it could be your usb stick has two partitions on it.  Or you mean on a single line, you may want to adjust Settings|Display Name

I just tried PCLinuxOS livecd for openbox full (pclinuxos-openbox-2011.08.iso).  Archie's package worked fine when installed with rpm -i.  It mounted and unmounted my usb stick with no root prompt and everything appeared normal.  EDIT: I'm not familair with PCLinuxOS, but to me this means that some package not on the livecd is interfering with normal udisks/policykit authentication.

Also (for Taco), I WAS finally able to reproduce (and correct) the task list bug on there, so that should be corrected in 0.6.2 - probably available later today.

$ spacefm

** (spacefm:26449): WARNING **: No root settings found in /etc/spacefm/  Setting a root editor in Preferences should remove this warning on startup.   Otherwise commands run as root may present a security risk.

That is normal, is just a warning, and is unrelated to any udisks/hal issues.  Although there isn't much documentation yet, you can read a little on this here.

[IgnorantGuru]

What are all the possibilities provided with these two lines related to "root" ?

When you edit a file as root in spacefm, it will use the editor set in Root Editor, and if the option is checked, will run it in a terminal.  So you might put 'nano' in the Root Editor box and check run in terminal, or put gedit in the box and uncheck run in terminal.  FYI the Root Editor box accepts any valid bash command line, so you can include env variables, etc.

what about making a new package with --enable-hal as switch ? It looks like it is what we need ! Note that when this option is used, it automatically disables the support with udev. There is no conflict.

Of course this is up to PCLinuxOS - just want to let you know that hal support is deprecated, mostly unsupported, and the device manager with --enable-hal is very limited - basically just mounts and unmounts with hal.  So you'll miss many of the device manager features in spacefm by using the hal build.

[melodie]

Hi IgnorantGuru,
I know hal is deprecated and not used any more in most distros. However, at PCLinuxOS if we don't use it, we will meet with issues because we don't have settings ready to go for the other tools. It's not like in some other distros where it's up to the users to configure everything the way they like : at PCLinuxOS it is possible to do so, but it is not an obligation. It is supposed to work out of the box in a way which will be easy for all users, be they very newbies or very old persons (or more simply people who don't want to use much time to learn technics and need it to be ready to use fast). hal particularly is provided with configurations ready to use.

spacefm doesn't show internal partitions unless you right-click and check option Settings|Show Internal Drives.

Did you mean "Right-click > View > Devices" ?

Without --enabled-hal I had a mess, as explained in the former posts.

FYI the Root Editor box accepts any valid bash command line, so you can include env variables, etc.

That's interesting. Could you provide an example which can be reproduced, for an idea ?

the device manager with --enable-hal is very limited - basically just mounts and unmounts with hal.  So you'll miss many of the device manager features in spacefm by using the hal build.

What particular features are you telling us about ? (are there one or several examples you can think of ?)

Thank you very much.

[melodie]

$ spacefm

** (spacefm:26449): WARNING **: No root settings found in /etc/spacefm/  Setting a root editor in Preferences should remove this warning on startup.   Otherwise commands run as root may present a security risk.

That is normal, is just a warning, and is unrelated to any udisks/hal issues.  Although there isn't much documentation yet, you can read a little on this here.

I will look, thanks.
For my test I have configured it right after I read the message, and didn't get the message again since, after having closed and reopened the program several times.

 I wonder if we can find a way to provide an all made configuration directly into a package to avoid this message ?

[IgnorantGuru]

Hi IgnorantGuru,
I know hal is deprecated and not used any more in most distros.

I only meant the hal support in spacefm is deprecated (I didn't even write that code - it is almost entirely the device manager from the legacy pcmanfm - I just left it in there so those using hal would have something).  There is no need to remove hal to use the udisks build of spacefm.  It will ignore hal and just use udisks.  From what I've seen it looks like you just need to correct some udisks authentication rules.  And like I said the openbox livecd worked fine with archie's udisks 586 rpm of spacefm.

> Did you mean "Right-click > View > Devices" ?

No - if it's the udisks build, right-click on the devices pane and it's in the Settings submenu.

> Without --enabled-hal I had a mess, as explained in the former posts.


> That's interesting. Could you provide an example which can be reproduced, for an idea ?

Well here's what I use in the Root Editor box:

Code: [Select]

GTK2_RC_FILES=/root/.gtkrc-2.0 XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/root/.config XDG_CACHE_HOME=/root/.cache geany -s

the device manager with --enable-hal is very limited - basically just mounts and unmounts with hal.  So you'll miss many of the device manager features in spacefm by using the hal build.

> What particular features are you telling us about ? (are there one or several examples you can think of ?)

The documentation on this is not yet available, but the udisks build of spacefm has a programmable device manager that can perform bash commands you set when devices are mounted, inserted, unmounted, etc.  It gives you much control over the devices list and how it appears, what devices are shown, what icons are used.  It lets you decide what a single-click opens, and it lets you set a custom font.  It also shows device properties, and has a Root submenu that allows you to check, format, and backup/restore partitions (using fsarchiver or partimage) and MBRs.  It also integrates with spacefm custom command bash integration, allowing you to add custom commands to the device menu and take actions on selected devices.  For example, you could add your own Mount command to do exactly what you want.

So there's a big difference there.  You can take a look through the devices context menu of the udisks build to see.

Based on the fact that the PCLinuxOS livecd for openbox worked fine with Archie's udisks rpm, it sounds like something in other packages is disturbing normal udisks behavior.  It could be a daemon, etc., but something is misconfigured in some versions of PCLinuxOS.  I would suggest attempting to rectify that - I don't think its a udisks or spacefm problem you're having, and it will affect other programs (as above someone said it affected pcmanfm).

HTH

[melodie]

Hi,
My build with your --enable-hal option does allow seeing properties on a mounted internal hard drive, I just checked now. I'll have to look further to the other options you mention. About the bug which have been reported : many lines at umount time, I had it too a while ago with the rpm from Archie, but not anymore with the build I did manually. I have tried diving in 2 different partitions one after the other, doing things in them, and once in a deep subdirectory, I umounted : not a glitch.

So I will reinstall Archie's rpm for a new look, but I will do it in a virtual machine. I have a Virtualbox with 3 installs, a Lxde, and Openbox Bonsai (mini) and a "Edu". I will boot the Openbox Bonsai while the other 2 machines are attached as slave to it, and then I will come back to tell you what I see.

Thanks.

[melodie]

Hi,
I just tried again the rpm package done by Archie in Openbox Bonsai in Virtualbox, I have been able to right-click in the upper part of the left sidebar where the devices are shown and to display the partitions from the slave virtual disks. It has also shown zswap (in use in Openbox versions), sr0 (no CD-ROM inserted)...

At same time as I was mounting it, and while it was prompting for the root password, the bottom lines showing process were more and more numerous. It was also prompting for root password and adding many lines in the bottom, at un-mounting.

I have looked at the numerous features I could look at, and frankly, I would not like to use such a tool. There are too many things there. I even think that for some users, it can be frightening. Else, even if a few of us configure our udisk configuration files (polkit 1 ... ) to be able to mount and unmount without being prompted for a root password, we would still need new packages with the same configurations enabled for all users. I guess this would need discussions in the devel team. :|

On the opposite, using it with HAL as support, the way I have seen it working here seems close enough to what we are used to while offering the additional panes, smoothness to mount and umount devices, really agreable and trouble free for what I could see of it on this short time.

I would encourage the other members who are participating to this present thread to give it a try with HAL as support, and I intend to continue using it this way for the coming days, to try to get into it a bit more. I will be looking forward to read from other members as soon as they will have decided to try the use with hal enabled.

Regards,
Mélodie

[Just17]

HAL is deprecated in SpaceFM
It is available but the functions of the app are limited when using it.

There are some problems in PCLOS installs when using the udisks version of the app
Those problems do not manifest themselves in the live Openbox environment.

Considering the above, if the devs have any time to look at the problems, I think it would be a worthwhile exercise.

I would certainly prefer to have available a fully functional app a little later, than a limited one immediately.

Up to the devs of course ....

[Just17]

As can be seen from the pic below, the devices panel is showing empty slots of a USB hub with no media inserted.

The first and last items are as expected.

I would want to see only what is available for use ....  no empty slots of a USB hib, no empty optical drives ....  only those slots/drives if they have media in them.

Hopefully what I mean is clear.

Is there a means of achieving what I want?



The display 'command' for the above is as follows

Code: [Select]

Dev:%v Label: %l  MntPnt:%m

[IgnorantGuru]

Is there a means of achieving what I want?

Not in v0.6.2, but I see your point.  I will most likely include an option for this in the next release (releases come out every few days or so during this stage of testing).  I've never seen a usb hub add devices when nothing is inserted - how odd!  In the meantime, it is possible to tell spacefm what devices to show and hide using Settings > Show Volumes.  But that will show/hide them regardless of their media status.

Thanks for your feedback.

Also, 0.6.2 is available which corrects the multiple entries in the task list issue.

[Just17]

Is there a means of achieving what I want?

Not in v0.6.2, but I see your point.  I will most likely include an option for this in the next release (releases come out every few days or so during this stage of testing).  I've never seen a usb hub add devices when nothing is inserted - how odd!  In the meantime, it is possible to tell spacefm what devices to show and hide using Settings > Show Volumes.  But that will show/hide them regardless of their media status.

Thanks for your feedback.

Also, 0.6.2 is available which corrects the multiple entries in the task list issue.

Thank you 

Just FYI .....  optical drives also show up when no media is inserted ....  something I seem to recall from my Win days of old 

EDIT:  Pic showing what I see when I insert a card into one of the media slots (MMC) and also the two optical drives, one with a DVD inserted and the other empty .....
Note the entry for the slot is still present even though a card has been inserted and this is shown as a separate entry.



NOTE:   Clicking on that MMC entry mounted it without request for a password.

[melodie]

HAL is deprecated in SpaceFM

HAL is deprecated everywhere : no more maintained since several years. It has been replaced everywhere or mostly all distros by udev along with udisks and upower. But not yet in PCLinuxOS.

It is available but the functions of the app are limited when using it.

The full functions are not what we are used to.

There are some problems in PCLOS installs when using the udisks version of the app
Those problems do not manifest themselves in the live Openbox environment.

Yes, they do manifest. I have just tried a while ago in Openbox Bonsai. I have installed the rpm from Archie which uses udisks and not HAL. This is what I sayd just above. What is it that I wrote which can not be understood ?

Considering the above, if the devs have any time to look at the problems, I think it would be a worthwhile exercise.

I would certainly prefer to have available a fully functional app a little later, than a limited one immediately.

Up to the devs of course ....

If you have 10 minutes available, wouldn't you give it a try in a Openbox Bonsai ? You could install the rpm version of Archie. Then you would see what I mean... The devs will decide what they like. I am almost sure that most users won't find their way through menus bursting in all directions. I could try to make a short videoscreen if I find some time a little later. My virtual machine is even still opened.

[Taco.22]

Installed 0.6.2 with --enable-hal and it mounts and unmounts without a hitch.  Right click menu in device pane only gives mount/unmount option.  However I am happy with it the way it is for the time being.  It does everything I need an FM to do, and more.

[melodie]

Installed 0.6.2 with --enable-hal and it mounts and unmounts without a hitch.  Right click menu in device pane only gives mount/unmount option.  However I am happy with it the way it is for the time being.  It does everything I need an FM to do, and more.

Agreed ! +10 ! ^^