Preventing the "SETTING" disk from mounting on Mac

[chrisridd]

Mac users will probably be familiar with their PRS-T1 (and later?) devices mounting two disks when they're connected over USB in data transfer mode - the READER disk containing the ebooks and things, and the SETTING disk containing an installer for the Reader app.

I've recently switched to using calibre, and was getting irritated that its "device eject" feature for the PRS-T1 didn't eject the SETTING disk. If you disconnect the USB cable at this point, the Mac complains that a disk was still attached and could now be damaged.

So here's how to fix that! Or rather, here's how to stop the SETTING disk from getting mounted automatically, which gives the same end result.

You need to use the command-line for this. This works on Mountain Lion (10.8) and should work for earlier releases of OS X.

1. Type "sudo nano /etc/fstab" and return to create if necessary and edit a system file
2. You will be prompted for your password - enter it and press return
3. A "GNU nano" screen will appear in the terminal window.
4. Type (without the quotes) "LABEL=SETTING none msdos noauto,ro" and return
5. Type Control-X, then Y when asked to save the file, then return to accept the default filename.

That's it - the next time you attach your PRS-T1 in data transfer mode, only the READER disk will appear.

I hope this is useful for someone else.

Chris

[Bookworm_Girl]

Thanks for sharing this information.

[pholy]

Oddly enough (not)... it works on a Linux computer as well. I never thought of doing that.

Thanks

[Teknikal]

Mounts on my windows pc as well never really bothers me though I just close the windows and let calibre at it.

[soulfuldog]

Is it just with Calibre that it doesn't eject the device safely? I use Calibre but always eject my 350 via using Windows and it never gives me any message about the settings disk not being safely removed?

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by pholy

Oddly enough (not)... it works on a Linux computer as well. I never thought of doing that.

Thanks

That's slightly surprising, because Linux and OS X don't share much code. Great news that it worked though :-)

Chris

[chrisridd]

Originally Posted by l_macd

Is it just with Calibre that it doesn't eject the device safely? I use Calibre but always eject my 350 via using Windows and it never gives me any message about the settings disk not being safely removed?

Windows is the key difference.

I think Windows works differently - it generally lets you eject USB disks (memory sticks, E-readers!) just by pulling them out. Macs and Linux keep more state about the disk, and object if you just yank things out.

I haven't used Windows for quite a while, so my memory of these things could be wrong.

Chris

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by chrisridd

Windows is the key difference.

I think Windows works differently - it generally lets you eject USB disks (memory sticks, E-readers!) just by pulling them out. Macs and Linux keep more state about the disk, and object if you just yank things out.

I haven't used Windows for quite a while, so my memory of these things could be wrong.

Chris

Ouch... not recommended unless Win set not to cache data whilst writing but should be obvious because there is an icon in tray that you use to eject in this case... even if set not to cache, it is always wise to be sure that any write to removables (of any form) has finished before just yanking them out...