Struggling to Install Blockchain on My External HDD Using Linux

Hey all. Need some help here. I can't seem to figure out how to install the blockchain on my external HDD. I'm running Zorin Linux (which is Ubuntu-based) on a 256 GB SSD. I want to put everything on my 1 TB HDD. I can see the HDD from the OS, but when I start the blockchain installation, it doesn't show up. Any clear step-by-step help would be appreciated. Not just vague tips like "give app permissions" since I'm new to Linux.

Have you checked if your HDD is showing up in /media when you try to choose a folder in Bitcoin Core? You could also use lsblk to locate the path of the HDD. Copy-pasting or typing that path into Bitcoin Core should work.

Here’s what I see: https://ibb.co/3RL6kvp. Looks like this: https://ibb.co/Xxpk01H I can't find /media anywhere. In the folder selection window, it just shows "Computer". On the left side, there’s "Computer" and my User folder (Dragos). No sight of the HDD.

Open a Terminal and run this command: It should show the exact path for your HDD. In your first screenshot, click on / and you’ll see a list of folders. There should be a folder named media that will have your HDD and USB drives.

Thanks for your reply! Gonna try it when I'm back home. I've attempted three methods to install it: via snap, from bitcoin.org, and the default software store. The first two give me the same issue, and the last skips the folder selection altogether and just installs it in the default area.

What’s your goal here? Personally, I wouldn't suggest installing Bitcoin Core on an external drive. If the USB gets disconnected, you might end up corrupting the blockchain. Your screenshots seem to indicate that it’s set to "prune to 2 GB". If that’s the case, why not just use your SSD for everything? But if you really want to use the external drive, consider keeping the chainstate on the SSD for better performance.

Yeah, the Software Store isn’t ideal. I hadn’t picked a directory for the blockchain before either. LoyceV, you got it wrong. I want a full node, not a pruned version. I’ve set up full nodes before. I’m using symlinks for chainstate on the SSD. My HDD is formatted and ready for Bitcoin Core. Just so you know, my drives are connected via SATA, not USB.

Make sure all three drives show up next to "Computer" and are mounted. Browse through them to see if you can access your HDD. Your screenshot looks like it’s not mounted yet. After ensuring it's mounted, in the Choose Data Directory window, click on "/" to check the list of folders.

Wait, so what’s your setup like? I thought you had USB drives from the title. But yeah, a lot of Linux apps just deal with mounted partitions. You can mount your drive wherever, like /home2, set permissions, and tell Bitcoin Core to save its data there.

Might've mixed up the terms "external" and "partition". Not super tech-savvy here. Thanks for all the replies! I’ll try the suggestions today or tomorrow morning. I’ll keep everyone posted on how it goes. Any other ideas are welcome!

iwantmyhomepaidwithbtc2 nailed it! I found the drives in the /media folder. Linux really is a different world compared to Windows. I also moved the chainstate folder from HDD to SSD and made a symlink. Now it’s downloading way faster. Really appreciate everyone’s help!

Super glad to hear everything worked out! Moving the chainstate was a smart move. If you’re curious about the Unix file system, there's a cool article on it. Lots of useful info.

Just to clarify, "external" just means outside of your computer’s internal hardware. I prefer the Linux way of mounting disks. For example, you could mount your second disk as /home/username/.bitcoin/blocks. Then it acts as a dedicated blockchain disk.