USB flash/thumb drives can ONLY be ejected, but not unmounted in GUI ?

[scjet45]

Hardware: x86/x86_64 PC, ...
OS: LinuxMint Mate 64-bit, (any LinuxMint OS version, 17.*, 18.*, 19.*)

As the subject says, whenever I plug in a USB flash/thumb drive,
it automatically mounts it in /media/[User]/[USB's Label name], and also shows on my desktop as a mounted usb device icon,
with a pop up window, (depending if it's a bootable medium or not), asking me to either optionally "Cancel", or "Ok" to open it, Or, click "Eject" to eject the device, which is fine.

Problem:
BUT, if I need to simply "unmount" it, (by right-clicking on the mounted USB flash device icon on my desktop, or via the Caja File manager within Mate),
it instead, ONLY gives me the option to "Eject" it. ???

So, the problem is, that if I "Eject" it, (via the convenient right-click on desktop icon gui method, or via gui File Manager), it now does NOT show up in gparted, lsblk, gdisk, ..., as a device anymore,
and therefore, I cannot perform a format, re-partition, ..., via gparted because gparted, lsblk, fdisk, gdisk, ..., can not see it anymore. ?

NOTE 1: (The above issue happens on ALL usb-flash/thumb drives irrespective of partition tables or filesystems used, be they mbr, gpt, and/or fat32, ntfs, ext2, ext3/4, ... ).
NOTE 2: (The above however, is NOT an issue when using any other internal/external SATA storage HardDrives/SSD, or even an external USB HardDrive/SSD, since either ones can easily be "unmounted" via gui).

So, the only way I can format, re-partition a USB flash/thumb drive is to:
-replug the usb flash drive in again.
-then, (optionally) click "Cancel" in the pop up window
-then open a Terminal, and run "sudo umount /media/[User]/[USB's Label name]"

The above is rather tedious to do all the time, for pluggable usb flash/thumb drives, and therefore, there should be a feature added to these mounted USB flash/thumb's, similar to harddrives, ..., where we can easily "unmount" via GUI method, and STILL be able to use gparted, ..., on that mountable USB flash/thumb drive.

Suggestion for Feature Proposal:
GUI "unmount" properties feature should be added within Mate's Caja (Devices) file manager, and on the Desktop icon device's right-click options, for all pluggable USB flash/thumb drives.

My pet peeve is that I'm actually surprised as to why this has NOT been done yet. ???

[scjet45]

...and apparently, after an eject, this issue has been the same within Nautilus as well, for some time now.
https://unix.stackexchange.com/question ... connecting

[rene]

While I agree a separate "unmount" is needed, if you can live with all of automounting gone then in fact disabling that in Nemo -> Preferences -> Behaviour -> "Media Handling" might at least be a useable workaround for you and for now. If that doesn't work for you but all of USB automounting gone does then the same can be achieved through a udev rule. That way you can insert a stick and rightclick-mount it manually only when so desired.

Once it is mounted you still have only the Eject option. Indeed this is probably completely Nemo/Nautilus rather than lower-level infrastructure such as udisks so I'd take the issue up here: https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo/issues. Here on the forum it's not necessarily noticed by anyone relevant.

I do not know if Nemo in fact deviates from Nautilus significantly, or if this is something the Nemo developer would feel needs to come from upstream. If latter I expect you'll be out of luck: rather expect that having both Unmount and Eject was considered confusing for us poor, poor users by GNOME at some point and therefore in time-honoured GNOME tradition dealt with by removing functionality even for non-poor users,

[DavePlummer]

I use gnome-disks (Menu->Accessories-Disks) to unmount without ejecting.

[scjet45]

I use gnome-disks (Menu->Accessories-Disks) to unmount without ejecting.

Again, @rene I have no problems with "automounting".

@DavePlummer. The problem with "gnome-disks", as you know, (other than having to open it just to specifically unmount USB thumbdrive partitions), is that for USB flash/thumb drives with multiple fie systems/partitions, (ie, boot, efi, ...) they have to be unmounted individually, one at a time, instead of a one-stop unmount ALL solution, without ejecting, like the GUI file managers already provide for any other external/internal Hard disks, re-writeable DVD/CD's, ...

Maybe Mint can't offer this because they are so dependent on Ubuntu, I dunno?

I'm only suggesting this, because I feel unmounting, (without removing/ejecting the usb thumb drive device), should be easily accomplished via Mint's GUI file managers, (and/or desktop thumbdrive icon), namely, as a (properties) option, a one stop convenient solution.
However, when using "USB Image Writer" it does in fact, automatically unmount in preparation to burn an image to a USB thumb drive, but that's only for special .iso, or .img purposes.

[rene]

Again, @rene I have no problems with "automounting".

Yes you do. I quote:

So, the only way I can format, re-partition a USB flash/thumb drive is to:
-replug the usb flash drive in again.
-then, (optionally) click "Cancel" in the pop up window
-then open a Terminal, and run "sudo umount /media/[User]/[USB's Label name]"

That is, as I thought was fairly clear, I was suggesting you'd as a workaround simply disable automount so that the device isn't mounted on plug; that you hence wouldn't need steps 2 and 3.

Mind you, as a possible workaround. I agreed with you that a separate "unmount" rather than just "eject" is needed, and pointed out that this forum is likely not the best route to make it happen.

[scjet45]

Again, @rene I have no problems with "automounting".

Yes you do. I quote:

So, the only way I can format, re-partition a USB flash/thumb drive is to:
-replug the usb flash drive in again.
-then, (optionally) click "Cancel" in the pop up window
-then open a Terminal, and run "sudo umount /media/[User]/[USB's Label name]"

That is, as I thought was fairly clear, I was suggesting you'd as a workaround simply disable automount so that the device isn't mounted on plug; that you hence wouldn't need steps 2 and 3.

Mind you, as a possible workaround. I agreed with you that a separate "unmount" rather than just "eject" is needed, and pointed out that this forum is likely not the best route to make it happen.

@rene
I repeat, I do NOT have a problem with automount, since it's a convenient feature I like.
I also want to keep "Eject", but I would like an additional "Unmount" option added, which you also agreed with, (for all flash/thumb drives), that's all, and I didn't know it would be that hard to implement for LinuxMint.?
But you're right about taking this to another forum, (as you mentioned with https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo/issues ),
and I appreciate your tips/workaround for this.

However, I'm not that adept at playing around with udev, udisks, ... or whatever systems/disks configuration rules, and neither would new User's.

Call me lazy, but convenience is not a crime, yet.
In all honesty, I was simply thinking of all "new" User's to LinuxMint, and I thought that adding a convenient "Unmount" option, (via all the desktop/gui-file-manager interfaces, ...), such as Caja, Nemo, Nautilus, ..., similar to Windows, for all (automounted) usb-Flash/Thumb drives could be done by the developers/programmers of LinuxMint.

...and the reason I said "I" instead of "We" is self-evident, since I can't speak for everyone, it's just a friendly Suggestion/Idea that ALL LinuxMint User's may like/appreciate.?

[LanceM]

You can unmount it using Gparted by right clicking the drive once it's highlighted and choose unmount.

[Dot_mdb]

You can unmount it using Gparted by right clicking the drive once it's highlighted and choose unmount.

Yes, and I think that the reason that this "deficiency" in Nemo never bothered me is because I automatically go to Gparted for most of the operations that would involve unmounting.

There is something that seems unusual. When you have Gparted running and then go back to Nemo and right click on the USB drive; the unmount function is added to the menu options.

Bill

[rene]

There is something that seems unusual. When you have Gparted running and then go back to Nemo and right click on the USB drive; the unmount function is added to the menu options.

Seriously?

<test>

Yes, seriously... if you start gparted after inserting the device; for me it otherwise doesn't show up in Nemo at all. But yes, that seems odd behaviour...

[LanceM]

There is something that seems unusual. When you have Gparted running and then go back to Nemo and right click on the USB drive; the unmount function is added to the menu options.

Seriously?

<test>

Yes, seriously... if you start gparted after inserting the device; for me it otherwise doesn't show up in Nemo at all. But yes, that seems odd behaviour...

Just verified. So seems like it might no be too hard to add that feature.

[LanceM]

You can also use sudo umount /media/lusername/Drive-Label
like
sudo umount /media/billy/ADATA16GB

[rene]

Certainly. Post is explicitly about GUI though...

[LanceM]

Certainly. Post is explicitly about GUI though...

I know, but he seemed pretty frustrated. Thought maybe he didn't know the command.

[all41]

Xfce has this feature and it is indeed handy.