Kubuntu 15.04 hangs at start if "its" USB HD isn't connected.

[robert leleu]

solved // see last post


That didn't occur with 14.10 (it delivered a message with option to skip or manually mount).

fstab includes a line :
UUID=617a5ac8-69ec-4686-8e8d-23a3899589c5 /media/leleu ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,data=ordered 0 0
ksystemlog sees no line including the MAC identity of the HD

How to teach Kubuntu 15.04 how to handle correctly this situation.

Thanks for any help

[oshunluvr]

fstab is really meant for fixed devices. You're not using the best way to mount a removable device so don't expect it to go smoothly. You can continue to do it this way (I wouldn't) by trying a few different options in fstab. Start by adding;

nofail,x-systemd.device-timeout=1

I believe that the nofail option will prevent reporting any errors on boot to the system, which has some potential to cause harm if there's a problem with the drive. You could also do

noauto,user

which would not mount it a boot, but allow you to mount it later without requiring root access. Finally, you could remove it from fstab altogether and either mount it with script commands in rc.local (including proper detection prior to mounting) or use it the supported way - mounting it through the device manager or dolphin after logging in.

[robert leleu]

Thanks. I see.
I use the HD for my automated backups (using sbackup)
At a time I let it be mounted "by itself", but this didn't insure a stable address for sbackup.

So I'll try the various suggestions you made.

[oshunluvr]

Probably in that case, I'd consider a detect-and-mount script or something similar. What happens if your automated backup runs when the drive isn't attached? I see a potential for the folder filling up and filling your hard drive to 100%.

You might consider a script that detects the drive, mounts it if detected and runs the backup and unmounts it, or does nothing if the drive is not detected. Another great possibility is a udev rule that detects the drive and runs the mount or backup when it's detected. Then leave it out of fstab so it doesn't interfere with your boot.

This is linux so the choices are endless

[robert leleu]

As a first trial I modified the fstab adding nobootwait according to http://techmonks.net/nofail-and-nobo...boot-problems/ a suggestion which seems rather close to my problem.

and I'll test along the days

When sbackup doesn't find the HD it writes a "corrupt" directory, quite empty, and report in its log.

[robert leleu]

The nobootwait allow Kubuntu 15.04 to start (albeit slowly), but will be destroyed if I have to make a complete system reinstallation.
So I try to use the follwing script at start

#!/bin/bash
#mont le dd USB (si il est branché)
udisks --mount /dev/sdc1

When dblclicked this script does mount /media/617a5ac8-69ec-4686-8e8d-23a3899589c5/ However, although I place it in ~/.kde/Autostart/
I tried also to have it as a script at start through the configuration gui, but the script line created in the gui is not saved.
I try now with the same script added as a program line in the gui......
It works. The HD is mounted, I adjusted the backup path, and it occurred....

[robert leleu]

#!/bin/bash
#monte le dd USB (si il est branché)

I however had problems tu use the backups, and I had to mount as root. I use now the following script, which is in ~/kde/Autostart

sh#!/bin/sh
MOTDEPASSE=`cat ~/.kde/Autostart/motdepassesession`
echo $MOTDEPASSE | sudo -S mount -t ext4 /dev/sdc1 /mnt/sdc1

motdepassesession is a text file with my password