# Feature request: USB/ external storage requests

**URL:** <https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847>\
**Category:** Using Zynthian\
**Tags:** vangelis, feature-request\
**Created:** [November 7, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847 "2026-11-07T20:43:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bevans22](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/bevans22/32/16962_2.png) [@bevans22](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/bevans22)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/1 "2026-11-07T20:43:56Z")

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2 things.

I want to have a quick move of my whole sound library to USB/ external storage.

I want to have an option to make USB/ external storage the main install location for packages

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**Author:** ![tunagenes](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/tunagenes/32/7279_2.png) [@tunagenes](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/tunagenes)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/2 "2026-11-07T21:41:55Z")

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Making a feature request in this forum is fine, and makes sense to discuss the feature, options for implementation, etc. And in some cases that’s all it takes to make it happen. Usually you have to make a Feature Request here:

> **[GitHub - zynthian/zynthian-issue-tracking: Centralized Issue Tracking for Zynthian Project](https://github.com/zynthian/zynthian-issue-tracking)**
>
> Centralized Issue Tracking for Zynthian Project

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**Author:** ![bevans22](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/bevans22/32/16962_2.png) [@bevans22](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/bevans22)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/3 "2026-11-07T21:51:01Z")

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Gotcha, I’ll put it there too. I couldn’t see a link anywhere so I just posted. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/4 "2026-11-07T22:23:35Z")

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> [@bevans22](#):
>
> I want to have a quick move of my whole sound library to USB/ external storage.

If you update your zynthian you will get the script i created for this.

Simply run it like this:

`move_data_to_external_storage.sh`

Please, before ensure the external disk has enough free space for the data.

After running the script, all zynthian sound library will be located in the external storage and all packages you install will be installed there too.

Regards,

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**Author:** ![bevans22](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/bevans22/32/16962_2.png) [@bevans22](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/bevans22)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/5 "2026-11-07T22:43:06Z")

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GOATED! Thank you, I’ll get on that when I get home.

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**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/6 "2026-11-08T02:55:24Z")

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I would recommend you to wait a little bit more. I’m on the way with a better solution.

Regards

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**Author:** ![jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/user_avatar/discourse.zynthian.org/jofemodo/32/2_2.png) [@jofemodo](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jofemodo)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 9:40am UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/7 "2026-11-09T09:40:06Z")

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OK!

I’ve implemented a mechanism based in _udev-managed dynamic bind-mounts_. The mechanism can be enabled by setting the right envar in the config file (zynthian\_envars.sh):

`export ZYNTHIAN_DYNAMIC_MEDIA_BIND=1`

and updating the system config with:

`update_zynthian_sys.sh`

Once enabled, the system will detect when external storage is connected and will look for any of these directories:

- soundfonts
- collections
- zynthian-my-data

bind-mounting them and overlapping the directories in the internal storage.

When the external storage is disconnected, the internal storage directories will be “restored” again.

The script:

`move_data_to_external_storage.sh`

move all data in these 3 directories to the external storage, leaving the empty directory tree in the internal storage and enabling the dynamic-media-bind mechanism.

### Important Notes:

- Before running the script, ensure you have enough free space in the external storage. Currently it’s not checking this at all.
- Unplugging the external storage while using soundfonts stored in it is not a good idea. Most probably you will crash the engines. Perhaps you crash the UI too. This should be tested and improved as needed. If you want to be sure, clean all your chains before unplugging.

When all this is well tested, i would add the options to webconf.

Enjoy!

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**Author:** ![jlearman](https://discourse.zynthian.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/a698b9/32.png) [@jlearman](https://discourse.zynthian.org/u/jlearman)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2026, 1:12pm UTC](https://discourse.zynthian.org/t/feature-request-usb-external-storage-requests/13847/8 "2026-11-09T13:12:39Z")

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In the future, please have just one request per Github issue, unless they’re extremely closely related. I realize that’s not an easy judgement call and this one is close to the edge.