I’m using a Raspberry Pi and have a USB flash drive connected to it. My intention is to only read data from the flash drive and not write any data to it. I’m curious about the potential risks associated with removing the flash drive without properly ejecting it first.

From my understanding, the main concerns with improper removal are usually related to data corruption during write operations. However, if the drive is strictly being used for read operations, are there still risks involved? Could there be issues with the file system or the Raspberry Pi’s handling of the USB drive upon subsequent reconnections?

Additionally, if there are risks, what steps can I take to mitigate them, especially in scenarios where I might accidentally remove the flash drive without ejecting?