Using a USB key or a USB hard disk

If you want to export/import data from/into DoudouLinux, you can use standard USB devices: a USB key, a USB disk or even camera cards such as SD, CF, XD cards, etc. This type of USB device is automatically detected although they do not show spontaneously in the system: you need to activate and deactivate them from the file manager.

Note: if you wish to preserve data that you modified during a DoudouLinux session, you should rather activate data persistence on an USB key. Backup of your work will then be automated.

Opening the file manager

File manager is available in both advanced activities; however, in the Mini DoudouLinux activity, there is no icon to launch it while in the Whole DoudouLinux activity, the launch icon is in the group Accessories of the tab Work. It is named PCMan file manager. Another possible way to launch it is to press simultaneously both keys: Logo and E [1]. This method is available in both Mini DoudouLinux and Whole DoudouLinux activities.

File manager interface is split into two parts. The right one shows files in the current directory while the left one shows the list of available storage devices:

Mounting removable devices

The technical term that means activating a new storage device in the system is “mounting a device”. When a new device is plugged, it is automatically detected by the system then it is shown in the device list [2]:

However it cannot be used yet, you first have to “mount” it. This operation is achieved as soon as you click on a device in the list on the left. Its file and directory list is then shown on the right side and the device can be browsed as usual:

Note: the path to your device in the system is shown in the file manager toolbar on the top, here it is /media/Kingston-DataTraveler. All removable devices have a path starting with /media followed by the device name whenever it is known [3]. Here it is simply an USB key of brand Kingston, model DataTraveler.

Unmounting removable devices

You probably know that USB keys need to be deactivated in the system before unplugging them from computer. This operation called unmounting guarantees that data that you may have copied or modified in your key have really been written. To “unmount” a storage device, you have to click on the device with the right mouse button in order to make the contextual menu appear:

Clicking on the “unmount” option will deactivate the device after the system has checked that data have actually been written. If the directory currently shown at this moment in the file manager is hosted on the device being unmounted, then the file manager will change of current directory since it is no longer accessible. This is a good way to know when the device is unmounted because there is no information notification to indicate it.