Looking for specific software

[Juggy]

I'm looking for software that will detect when I insert a USB flash drive, format it and copy a pre-determined set of files to it.

It's for a kiosk type setup for a function I'm doing the technical stuff for. I know I could simply hand out the flash drives with the stuff already on it but I would prefer it to be interactive.

The files to be copied would be a set out images and a few music tracks.

Would be nice if there was an indicator bar of some sort that would tell the user when the copy was done or how far along it was.

If someone can develop something like this and gurantee it to work I am prepared to pay for it as long as it's not an exhorbitant ammount.

 

[RoganDawes]

I'm looking for software that will detect when I insert a USB flash drive, format it and copy a pre-determined set of files to it.

It's for a kiosk type setup for a function I'm doing the technical stuff for. I know I could simply hand out the flash drives with the stuff already on it but I would prefer it to be interactive.

The files to be copied would be a set out images and a few music tracks.

Would be nice if there was an indicator bar of some sort that would tell the user when the copy was done or how far along it was.

If someone can develop something like this and gurantee it to work I am prepared to pay for it as long as it's not an exhorbitant ammount.

It doesn't sound difficult, however you need to provide more information. What platform will your kiosk be running on? Linux/Windows?

Do you want to prompt the user to format their flash disk, or will they simply get blown away without warning?

etc,etc

 

[Juggy]

It doesn't sound difficult, however you need to provide more information. What platform will your kiosk be running on? Linux/Windows?

Do you want to prompt the user to format their flash disk, or will they simply get blown away without warning?

etc,etc

Lol, probably run on Win7 and they will be given flash drives when they arrive as part of their gift packs. Someone will be running around the venue taking pics and uploading them so as they're added people can either wait until they leave to get everything copied to their flash drives or simply pop it in every 30 minutes and get formatted and re-copied.

I would assume a dual monitor setup with the app running in front and the OS screen at the back so the photographer can upload to the pictures folder without interferring.

 

[RoganDawes]

Lol, probably run on Win7 and they will be given flash drives when they arrive as part of their gift packs. Someone will be running around the venue taking pics and uploading them so as they're added people can either wait until they leave to get everything copied to their flash drives or simply pop it in every 30 minutes and get formatted and re-copied.

I would assume a dual monitor setup with the app running in front and the OS screen at the back so the photographer can upload to the pictures folder without interferring.

So, basically something that polls for new USB drives, automounts them, then syncs them with a designated folder, before telling them that they can remove the drive?

It would be pretty much trivial under linux, I think.

udev rule to automount new USB disks, easy.
use rsync to synchronize the folders one way (i.e anything new on the server gets synched to the flash disk)
rsync with the date and size options should make short work of checking the previous images, and then only copying the new ones.
rsync also provides progress output, that you can wrap with "dialog".
When it is done, dismount the flash disk, and pop up a new dialog telling the user to remove the disk. When the disk is removed, dismiss the dialog.

Done.

 

[Juggy]

Sounds so easy

Any chance you know how it could be done in windows? I don't have linux skills to speak of but am very proficient in any MS product.

 

[RoganDawes]

Sounds so easy

Any chance you know how it could be done in windows? I don't have linux skills to speak of but am very proficient in any MS product.

Nope, sorry. I've not ever run Windows 7 (or even Vista), thank goodness!

 

[Juggy]

Ok, so if it's done in linux. FreeBSD, CentOS or Ubuntu would one create a script or building a cron job or what?

Like I said my skills are limited

Another thing is it would need to listen on only 1 or 2 ports as the photographer would need to use a USB port to upload the pictures and we don't want his camera getting wiped.

 

[stevenv]

Probably have to write a custom app to do this. Applications get notified via Windows messages when USB devices are inserted and removed from the system, would have to listen for those messages and then perform whatever actions you want. Might have to do some low-level stuff though e.g. http://www.codeproject.com/KB/system/HwDetect.aspx is done in C++ but you could probably do some interop (using a .NET language).