Working auto-mount?

Question

Hi all,
I have a xfce4 desktop installed. I want an automount service. I tried autoFS, with the following settings:
auto.master
/media /etc/autofs/auto.custom --timeout=15
auto.custom
disc -fstype=auto,ro,nodev,nosuid :/dev/cdrom
Backup -fstype=auto,user,rw,async,umask=000,gid=users,noatime,nodiratime :/dev/disk/by-uuid/f569bba5-8007-40f5-8b3c-36960c5796d5
## Backup -fstype=ext4,user,rw,async,umask=000,gid=users,noatime,nodiratime :/dev/disk/by-uuid/f569bba5-8007-40f5-8b3c-36960c5796d5
Shared -fstype=ntfs-3g,user,rw,async,umask=000,gid=users,noatime,nodiratime :/d ev/disk/by-uuid/565AF3085AF2E421
ReaderCard -fstype=vfat,flush,user,rw,async,umask=000,gid=users,noatime,nodirat
ime :/dev/disk/by-uuid/0102-0304
##ReaderInt -fstype=auto,async,nodev,nosuid,umask=000,gid=users :
## Other medium here
# floppy -fstype=auto,async,nodev,nosuid,umask=000 :/dev/fl
The files are formatted following the instructions. The partition Backup, however, does not come up ("no such file or directory", even when root).
Backup is ext4 and it's kept on an external hard drive, the same of Shared. Mounting it manually works. I have tried with simpler options (as simple as
Backup -fstype=auto :/dev/disk/by-uuid/f569bba5-8007-40f5-8b3c-36960c5796d5
with no results. Autofs won't do.
As an alternative I have tried xfce volume manager, but that doesn't work with ANY external device.
Please help. Thank you.

Answer 1

That would be a solution - if it worked. I tried that too. The Arch wiki just glances on the setup, solving the whole question with a one liner "Thunar-volman's automount doesn't work currently because of the hal to udev switch, Sept 2010"
The section on udev is obscure, mentioning to check policykit to "properly start your session".
However the policykit page is also obscure, containing no mention about starting X session properly or even improperly for what matters.
The default setting produces no result at all.
Nowhere I was able to find a five-lines working example of set up. I have used Linux daily since 2000 (and I know it should not take more than 5 line explanation to setup an auto-mount).
I am really embittered by this interpretation of "the arch way". The documentation on certain core tools such as policykit is completely insufficient and the defaults do not solve basic problems (hours to set up a basic auto-mount? incomplete wiki pages referring each other?).
Arch could be a perfect desktop distribution with just a pinch of attention to put the obvious features, when correctly disabled by default, at easy reach through complete examples. (Shutdown buttons? Same story: one line reference to policykit, dbus and other 10 tools with not the barest explanation about how to use them in synergy for the purpose. Result? Manual shutdown for the moment).
If you could provide a working setup for thunar volume manager I'll be happy to use and add it to the wiki.
Thank you.