How To Change the Volume Label on External Storage Devices (USB Flash Drives)

Introduction

Userful MultiSeat™ is software that extends Linux to support several fully independent and concurrent workstations using a single computer box. This is accomplished by adding video devices (either video cards, USB multiseat devices or USB-over-LAN multiseat devices), keyboards and mice to a single PC system and installing Userful's software.

This software is available as:

1. Userful MultiSeat: A stand-alone software package compatible with Ubuntu/Edubuntu.
2. Userful MultiSeat Linux : Bundled with Edubuntu and other open-source software, with a focus on software for the educational sector.

This document provides instructions for changing the volume label of a removable storage device.

Why is the Storage Volume Label Important with Userful MultiSeat?

USB flash drives and other external storage devices have an intrinsic name called a "label". The volume labels of flash drives of the same brand name are typically identical out-of-the box (that is, Kingston-manufactured drives will be labeled "KINGSTON",. etc..) With Userful MultiSeat, any flash drives plugged directly into the host computer (system box) will result in errors accessing flash drives connected to any/all stations if the volume labels of the flash drives are the same.

To avoid assignment and storage access problems, Userful recommends giving storage devices unique volume labels if they are to be used in a multiseat configuration. For a simple way to do this, please see the next section.

How to Change a Storage Volume Label

Fortunately, it is easy to give a new label to a USB flash drive or other storage volume in Linux using the Gnome Disk Utility.

1. Plug the external storage device/flash drive into the main system box. An icon for the drive should appear on the desktop.

   

   

2. Open the Disk Utility. This application is typically found under System > Administration.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   

3. First, find your external storage device in the list on the left of the Disk Utility Window and click to select it.
4. Next, click the Unmount Volume" button.

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   

5. Click the button to "Edit Filesystem Label".

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   

6. Give the flash drive or other external storage device a new label, and click "Apply".

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