<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      type="topic" style="task"
      id="files-autorun">

  <info>
    <link type="guide" xref="media#photos"/>
    <link type="guide" xref="media#videos"/>
    <link type="guide" xref="media#music"/>
    <link type="guide" xref="files#removable"/>

    <revision pkgversion="3.2.1" date="2011-10-05" status="final"/>
    
    <desc>Automatically run applications for CDs and DVDs, cameras,
    audio players, and other devices and media.</desc>
    
    <credit type="author">
      <name>GNOME Documentation Project</name>
      <email>gnome-doc-list@gnome.org</email>
    </credit>
    
    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
  </info>

<title>Open applications for devices or discs</title>

<comment>
<cite date="2011-09-29">shaunm</cite>
<p>For 3.4, this is merged into System Info. Make sure to update in six months.</p>
</comment>

<p>You can have an application automatically start when you plug in a device
or insert a disc or media card. For example, you might want your photo organizer
to start when you plug in a digital camera. You can also turn this off, so that
nothing happens when you plug something in.</p>

<p>To decide which applications should start when you plug in various devices:</p>

<steps>
  <item><p>Click your name on the top bar and select <gui>System Settings</gui>.</p></item>
  <item><p>Open <gui>Removable Media</gui>.</p></item>
  <item>
    <p>Choose an application or action for the desired device or media type. See
    below for a description of the different types of devices and media.</p>
    <p>Instead of starting an application, you can also set it so that the device
    will be shown in the file manager (<gui>Open folder</gui>), you will be asked
    what to do, or nothing will happen automatically.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <p>If you don't see the device or media type that you want to change in the
    list (such as Blu-ray discs or E-book readers), click <gui>Other Media</gui>
    to see a more detailed list of devices. Select the type of device or media
    from the <gui>Type</gui> drop-down and the application or action from the
    <gui>Action</gui> drop-down.</p>
  </item>
</steps>

<note style="tip">
<p>If you don't want any applications to be opened automatically, whatever you plug in, select <gui>Never prompt or start programs on media insertion</gui> at the bottom of the Removable Media window.</p>
</note>

<terms>
  <title>Types of devices and media</title>
  <item>
    <title>Audio discs</title>
    <p>Choose your favorite music application or CD audio extractor to handle
    audio CDs. If you use audio DVDs (DVD-A), select how to open them under
    <gui>Other Media</gui>. If you open an audio disc with the file manager,
    the tracks will appear as WAV files that you can play in any audio player
    application.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Video discs</title>
    <p>Choose your favorite video application to handle video DVDs. Use the
    <gui>Other Media</gui> button to set an application for Blu-ray, HD DVD,
    video CD (VCD), and super video CD (SVCD). If DVDs or other video discs
    do not work correctly when you insert them, see <link xref="video-dvd"/>.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Blank discs</title>
    <p>Use the <gui>Other Media</gui> button to select a disc-writing application
    for blank CDs, blank DVDs, blank Blu-ray discs, and blank HD DVDs.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Cameras and photos</title>
    <p>Use the <gui>Photos</gui> drop-down to choose a photo-management application
    to run when you plug in your digital camera, or when you insert a media card
    from a camera, such as a CF, SD, MMC, or MS card. You can also simply browse
    your photos using the file manager.</p>
    <p>Under <gui>Other Media</gui>, you can select an application to open Kodak
    picture CDs, such as those you might have made in a store. These are regular
    data CDs with JPEG images in a folder called <file>PICTURES</file>.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Music players</title>
    <p>Choose an application to manage the music library on your portable music
    player, or manage the files yourself using the file manager.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>E-book readers</title>
    <p>Use the <gui>Other Media</gui> button to choose an application to manage the
    books on your e-book reader, or manage the files yourself using the file manager.</p>
  </item>
  <item>
    <title>Software</title>
    <p>Some discs and removable media contain software that is supposed to be run
    automatically when the media is inserted. Use the <gui>Software</gui> option
    to control what to do when media with autorun software is inserted. You will
    always be prompted for a confirmation before software is run.</p>
    <note style="warning">
      <p>Never run software from media you don't trust.</p>
    </note>
 </item>
</terms>
</page>
