how to notify an application when a usb flash drive gets connected..

[wysota]

however is there some simpler technique of the form

if the kernel (using hotplug or other means) realises that there a usb device has been connected,

Currently hotplug uses hal to do its job.

it should send a singal (SIGUSR1 or some other) which then i can intercept from within the application (and i can do a printf() or smth).

A unix signal is sent to a particular application, so you can't simply "attach" to a signal.

As an alternative you could try to monitor the file system (either /etc/fstab or /mnt/something) if you are sure that the device will be automounted in a particular location but this method might fail, so using HAL is a preffered solution.

[nass]

ok u convinced me
i will look into it thoroughly
thank you once again.
nass

[sunil.thaha]

As an alternative you could try to monitor the file system (either /etc/fstab or /mnt/something) if you are sure that the device will be automounted in a particular location but this method might fail, so using HAL is a preffered solution.

How about /proc ?

[wysota]

How about /proc ?

What about it?

[jacek]

How about /proc ?

Yes, but not every system allows normal users to dig inside it. A similar solution is to use libusb and look from time to time for new devices.

[Brandybuck]

How about /proc ?

The problem with /proc is that Linux treats it entirely different than do other Unix and Unix-like systems. Basing an application on Linux's procfs behavior means that it won't work under BSD, Solaris, etc. I would look for a better crossplatform approach.

[wysota]

Furthermore /proc under Linux starts to be deprecated in favour of /sys so there is a probability that /proc (or at least most of its functionality) will soon vanish from some Linux distros.

[sunil.thaha]

Waw!!

Didn't know all of those... Cross platform, Deprecated !!!
Thanks for sharing the info, Guys