Retropie x86 store roms on an external drive

imWilsonBond

I'm running Ubuntu 18.04 LTS X86 version of Retropie 4.4. But because I use a sall ssd for the operating system and Retropie/Emulation Station, it would be useful to store the roms on an external drive.

I look for usb rom service in retropie setup but retropie x86 doesn't have this option.

This link doesn't solve my problem, : [https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Running-ROMs-from-a-USB-drive

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

mitu

@imWilsonBond Use the manual method of configuring an external drive: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Running-ROMs-from-a-USB-drive/#manual-mount.

Parabolaralus

@imWilsonBond You could just attach your drive, move your roms over to it and create a symbolic link pointing to the folders on the external instead. Its pretty easy to do and takes a couple seconds. You'll need to enable symbolic links in nautilus preferences, but thats easy enough.

If you dont have a desktop environment youll need to follow what mitu said already.

imWilsonBond

@Parabolaralus Thank you, im not a user of Linux or Ubuntu, still figuring doing the terminal part

imWilsonBond

@mitu Hi, may i ask i follow the "manual method" is on my raspberry pi or my PC?

mitu

@imWilsonBond You execute it on the system where you want the method implemented - on your PC running Ubuntu.

imWilsonBond

@mitu if is on my pc, how can i go into terminal? Because everytime i click into retropie, when i press F4, it will automatically quit my retropie.

mitu

@imWilsonBond Just open the terminal application (gnome-terminal ?) installed in your desktop environment. Here is a small tutorial on the Ubuntu site:
https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/command-line-for-beginners

imWilsonBond

@mitu Hi mitu here is where im stuck, can you please guide me? thank you

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=c4dcdc5c-92bf-4e3f-af3c-903434a663f6 /               ext4    errors=remount-ro 0       1
/swapfile                                 none            swap    sw              0       0

mitu

I can only repeat the advice from the Docs:

Edit fstab with this command: sudo nano /etc/fstab and add a new line like the below:
[..]
...where UUID= the UUID of your drive, and everything else is the same as the example. Note that each item is tab delimited

Did you find out the UUID corresponding to your external drive ? Then edit the file, as directed in the docs, and add a new line for the external drive.

imWilsonBond

@mitu lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jul 15 21:40 7DC0-7548 -> ../../sdb1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jul 15 21:40 c4dcdc5c-92bf-4e3f-af3c-903434a663f6 -> ../../sda1

7DC0-7548 this is the UUID? if yes, how should i edit?

mitu

@imWilsonBond said in Retropie x86 store roms on an external drive:

7DC0-7548 this is the UUID? if yes, how should i edit?

Yes, 7DC0-7548 seems to be the UUID that you need to add to /etc/fstab. As for how to edit - did you read the doc page ? The command (sudo nano /etc/fstab) is given there - you execute it from a terminal session. It starts a text editor where you can add the necessary line.

imWilsonBond

@mitu yes i have read the doc that you provided, where to add the line? where should i start from? there are 2 options there, which should i use?

In the case of errors with ext4 file systems use
In the case you want to allow execution of file with fat32 file system (E.g : OpenBOR), use

and finally where should i add the new line?

/etc/fstab: static file system information.

Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a

device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices

that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).

<file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

/ was on /dev/sda1 during installation

UUID=c4dcdc5c-92bf-4e3f-af3c-903434a663f6 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/swapfile none swap sw 0 0

mitu

Re-read the doc again, it gives you a clear example - the new line is added at the end of the file.

imWilsonBond

@mitu Thank you for your reply, now when i open retropie, it says : we can't find any systems! check that your paths are correct in the systems configuration file, and your game directory has at least one game with the correct extension. (i have game and it's the correct extension)

and when i open my external drive, it says : Error mounting system-managed device /dev/sdb1: worng fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sdb1, missing codepage or helper program, or other error

below is what i added, can you please check is there any mistake?

/etc/fstab: static file system information.

Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a

device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices

that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).

<file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

/ was on /dev/sda1 during installation

UUID=c4dcdc5c-92bf-4e3f-af3c-903434a663f6 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/swapfile none swap sw 0 0
UUID=7DC0-7548 /home/retropie-os/RetroPie vfat nofail,user,uid=pi,gid=pi 0 2

mitu

Is the external disc formatted as fat32 ?

imWilsonBond

@mitu yes, is fat32

mitu

Your user is not pi, so replace the user=pi,gid=pi with your user's values (retropie-os maybe ?).

imWilsonBond

@mitu Thanks a million mitu, it's works. PROBLEM SOLVED. you are genius!