Xfce Forum

Poindexter

Member

Registered: 2007-05-07

Posts: 13

hal-mtab and how to remove an invalid drive icon from the desktop

OK, this is complimentary to my previous post where I asked how I could add drive icons to the Xfce desktop:  http://forum.xfce.org/index.php?topic=3386
This time I am fussing about an icon that links to a partition that has since been removed, but which still sits on the desktop.  It's called "5 G drive" and links to /media/disk.
I can't delete it as it seems to be no ordinary desktop file, and it seems to have something to do with a mysterious file named /media/.hal-mtab which contains a fstab-style line that links to /media/disk. :?
So what's the mysterious mechanism behind hal-mtab?
I'm looking forward to your replies, and thanks in advance!

Nick

Dev

From: ~

Registered: 2005-02-17

Posts: 1,144

Website

Re: hal-mtab and how to remove an invalid drive icon from the desktop

Hal-mtab contains the partitions mounted using hal (hardware abstraction layer). For example thunar uses the hal info (which emits a signal when a device is plugged) to mount the partition. You can disable the 'desktop drives' by toggling one of the buttons in the desktop settings and when the device has been removed, the desktop should update (maybe F5 works, /me is not using dektop icons).

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G+ Profile - Ohloh Profile

Poindexter

Member

Registered: 2007-05-07

Posts: 13

Re: hal-mtab and how to remove an invalid drive icon from the desktop

Thanks, Xerv.
:cry:
I just fought the system, but the system won.  I lost about two months' worth of data in the process.  My bad for not backing up more often ...
But I eventually managed to mount my partitions as I wanted :twisted: -- a victory of sorts, I guess.
I'm going for a run now.

Poindexter

Member

Registered: 2007-05-07

Posts: 13

Re: hal-mtab and how to remove an invalid drive icon from the desktop

PS:  any idea what exactly the file /media/.hal-mtab-lock does?

Nick

Dev

From: ~

Registered: 2005-02-17

Posts: 1,144

Website

Re: hal-mtab and how to remove an invalid drive icon from the desktop

.hal-mtab-lock prevents multiple devices to mount to the same point.

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G+ Profile - Ohloh Profile

Poindexter

Member

Registered: 2007-05-07

Posts: 13

Re: hal-mtab and how to remove an invalid drive icon from the desktop

Thanks, Nick.
So if .hal-mtab-lock is present in /media, does this mean that multiple devices are in fact trying to access the same mount point, thus indicating a problem?  Or will it be there even if everything is okey-dokey?