9.2 Mobile Hardware

openSUSE supports the automatic detection of mobile storage devices over FireWire (IEEE 1394) or USB. The term mobile storage device applies to any kind of FireWire or USB hard disk, USB flash drive, or digital camera. These devices are automatically detected and configured as soon as they are connected with the system over the corresponding interface. The file managers of both GNOME and KDE offer flexible handling of mobile hardware items. To unmount any of these media safely, use the Safely Remove (KDE) or Unmount Volume (GNOME) feature of either file manager. The handling of removable media by your desktop is described in more detail in GNOME User Guide, (↑ GNOME User Guide ) and KDE User Guide, (↑ KDE User Guide ).

External Hard Disks (USB and FireWire)

As soon as an external hard disk has been correctly recognized by the system, its icon appears in the file manager. Clicking the icon displays the contents of the drive. It is possible to create folders and files here and edit or delete them. To rename a hard disk from the name it had been given by the system, select the corresponding menu item from the menu that opens when the icon is right-clicked. This name change is limited to display in the file manager. The descriptor by which the device is mounted in /media remains unaffected by this.

USB Flash Drives

These devices are handled by the system just like external hard disks. It is similarly possible to rename the entries in the file manager.

Digital Cameras (USB and FireWire)

Digital cameras recognized by the system also appear as external drives in the overview of the file manager. KDE allows reading and accessing the pictures at the URL camera:/. The images can then be processed using digiKam or f-spot. For advanced photo processing use The GIMP. For a short introduction to digiKam, f-spot and The GIMP, see Section 23.0, Managing Your Digital Image Collection, (↑ Application Guide ), Section 24.0, Managing Your Digital Image Collection with F-Spot, (↑ Application Guide ) and Section 22.0, Manipulating Graphics with The GIMP, (↑ Application Guide ).