The Unwanted Pop-up
When you plug a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, or even an SD card into an Ubuntu Linux system, the GNOME desktop environment is designed to handle it automatically. It mounts the filesystem so it is ready to use. However, depending on how your system is configured, Ubuntu might also automatically launch a file manager window or, occasionally, the “Disks” utility (gnome-disk-utility) showcasing the partition table of the newly connected drive. While seeing the Disks utility is helpful if you are about to format a drive, it is an annoying interruption if you simply wanted to copy a quick document.
Configuring Media Handling
To keep your workspace clean and stop Ubuntu from automatically launching the Disks utility or a file browser window the moment you plug in a new drive, you must adjust the removable media preferences.
The standard Ubuntu Settings app has a dedicated section for this. Click the system menu in the top-right corner and select Settings. In the left-hand navigation sidebar, scroll down and click on Removable Media (in older Ubuntu versions, this might be found under ‘Details’ or ‘Devices’). You will see a list of different media types, such as “Software,” “Audio,” or “Other Media.” Look for the dropdown menu next to the generic media types or Other Media. Change the default action from “Open folder” or a specific application to Ask what to do or simply Do nothing. If you select “Do nothing”, the drive will still quietly mount in the background, accessible from the sidebar, but no windows will forcibly interrupt your workflow.