Can't get my usb settings right

fluffymastodons

So I have my retropi setup to run roms from the usb, not just copy them over to the pi, this works brilliantly for me because of how frequently I swap things in and out, but I've run into a problem. I'm trying to run kodi on my retropi, which was trivial to install, but, all of my media files are on my usb, and when I plug it in the ports folder, and kodi, dissapear because they are located on the pi, and not the usb. I would just make a copy of ports on the usb and use kodi from there, but kodi isn't in the ports directory when I look through the filesystem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Efriim

@fluffymastodons
I'm not sure, if you installed kodi I think it will be on the sdcard. If all that you will need is the kodi shortcut from the \roms\ports\ folder to be put on the USB, then you could try installing kodi with the USB attached or copying the shortcut to it. I think this will work.

Most ports are installed on the sd root at /opt/retropie/ports/ and the emulationstation configuration is set up to use this.

fluffymastodons

@Efriim Thanks so much for the help,
That's kinda my problem as well, when I have the USB plugged in only the things on the USB show up. I can't try and install Kodi with the USB in cause I don't even have a retropi menu with the USB plugged in. I'm not sure if there's something I forgot to do when switching from copy from usb to run from usb

Efriim

@fluffymastodons
Oh I see, it should be needing the retropiemenu folder copied to the usb.
What you can do, is get the retropie setup going either without the usb in, or through SSH/keyboard (press f4 to exit to commandline)
sudo $HOME/RetroPie-Setup/retropie_setup.sh
plug in the USB
then Manage Packages >> Core >> retropiemenu >> update from binary

or you could download retropiemenu.zip and Extract it to folder retropiemenu on the usb. With the directory structure looking something like:

retropie-mount 
|-BIOS
|-roms
|-retropiemenu
'-splashscreens

or you could create the file and folder yourself

retropie-mount 
|-BIOS
|-roms
|-retropiemenu
| '-rpsetup.rp
'-splashscreens

where rpsetup.rp is just an empty text file. then run the update.

Also instead of reinstalling kodi, if youre familiar with using the network share; samba to access the roms folder on the pi.
In windows explorer simply type the the hostname (default: retropie) or ip address into the explorer address bar like this

\\retropie\
or
\\169.254.xxx.xxx\

The shortcut for kodi, is probably a script in the \\retropie\roms\ports\ folder just make a copy of it and put it on the usb in the same relative location.

Efriim

Really though you should get familiar with the linux OS and the shell command line if you're not already.

raspi-config > interfacing options > SSH > enable yes

In windows 10 SSH is already installed, otherwise a program called puTTY is free to download and easy to use. You need a local connection to the pi, either directly or through a router and then you need the IP address of the pi, to connect the ssh to.

With the command line interface you could achieve everything I just described by typing in the following, with the usb attached to the pi.

cd
sudo RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu configure
sudo RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh kodi configure

I think that will create the files you need anyways.
And then it will be configured to use with either the USB plugged in or not.

Efriim

Oh yeah! The default user:login for retropie is
user=pi
pass=raspberry
You're welcome!

fluffymastodons

@Efriim So I'm a little confused. When I go through the retropie-setup.sh or whichever file it is, it's set up to go through the stuff installed on the drive not the USB. My Kodi is as updated as possible from there, but there's still no accessing that from the emulationstation gui. I tried symlinking as well, but no luck cause the USB is formatted in fat

fluffymastodons

@fluffymastodons and just to explain, Kodi works fine without the USB plugged in, because the ports folder is in the drive, but when I plug in to the USB I can no longer access it, which means I have access to either Kodi or my media files, which are on the same USB as my roms, and where ideally I want my ports folder to be

Efriim

@fluffymastodons
I think I understand, but in truth I haven't used the usbromservice.
If you follow one of the steps above I think there were three ways to achieve the same thing.
What I wanted to happen was for the usb stick to get the retropie menu installed, but I forgot that there is a gamelist that may or may not be copied over to the usb. I more assumed that creating this basic file flag "rpsetup.rp" would work.

retropie-mount 
|-BIOS
|-roms
|-retropiemenu
| '-rpsetup.rp
'-splashscreens

Retropie-setup is accessed through emulationstation reading that file above. It also reads a gamelist.xml that is located on the usb \retropie-mount\configs\all\emulationstation\gamelists\retropie\gamelist.xml, That is the file I forgot about, you could check if it exists on the usb.

If you enter RetroPie setup and then plug in the usb, I considered that because it automounts (right?) when you install the package > core > retropiemenu, it will install the menu to the usb.

from commandline if you got the usb plugged in, I think this would be to the same effect

cd
sudo RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh retropiemenu configure
sudo RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh kodi configure

It is possible to create symlink targets from the usb, but not on the usb.

Efriim

To clarify, updating either of the packages or kodi, would update and install the main binary files library and resources right over where they are installed on the microsd @ /opt/retropie/. The last step in the update is the 'configure' that I believe will create the configs and the shortcut for emulationstation. Which is why;
sudo RetroPie-Setup/retropie_packages.sh kodi configure
is probably best suited for this operation.

fluffymastodons

So I finally figured it out. As usual it was a couple things, but none of them were as difficult as I was looking for. Everything was a little out of date, and because I was working on wifi, i figured id let it update everything over night. Turns out I hadnt done that since enabling usbrom service. After the update it (mostly) solved my problem, and after putting the pi on stretch instead of Jessie I'm good. Thanks @Efriim for going down the rabbit hole with me. I appreciated your help