<p>As @Pieter Wuille suggested, it had to do with the fact that snap doesn't allow packages to communicate with mounted devices by default.</p>
<p><a href="https://askubuntu.com/a/1345221">This</a> helped resolve my issue.</p>
<pre><code>sudo snap connect packagename:removable-media
</code></pre>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-03T23:42:04.323Z
2024-12-04T11:30:53.900Z
2024-12-04T11:30:53.900Z
desolate_mountain
<p>I'm learning about how to run a Bitcoin full node. I have started tinkering with it on Windows, and have put the data directory in an external SSD drive I got specifically for storing the entire blockchain data.</p>
<p>I am now looking into moving my setup into a dedicated Raspberry Pi 5 running Ubuntu. I managed to install Bitcoin Core via Snap, however, I'm struggling to point to the Bitcoin data dir in the external SSD.</p>
<p>Ubuntu recognizes it under <code>/media/myUser/Elements</code> and I can see the content via the GUI, but Bitcoin Core fails to start when I point to it in the <code>bitcoin.conf</code> file. I was expecting to see it under <code>/mnt</code>, but not sure why it's not showing up there.</p>
<p>Do I need to partition the external SSD for the Linux filesystem or something of the sort?</p>
<p>Would greatly appreciate any help!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-01T02:44:06.507Z
I believe snaps have some security mechanism that prevents them from seeing external disk filesystems. I don't know the solution, so this isn't a full answer, but perhaps it's enough to help figure out what to look for.
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-03T23:40:00.000Z
This was actually it :) Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! This worked https://askubuntu.com/a/1345221
desolate_mountain
<full-node><linux><ubuntu><windows><datadir>
Unable to use external SSD for Bitcoin datadir in Ubuntu
desolate_mountain
# Unable to use external SSD for Bitcoin datadir in Ubuntu

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-01)

I'm learning about how to run a Bitcoin full node. I have started tinkering with it on Windows, and have put the data directory in an external SSD drive I got specifically for storing the entire blockchain data.

I am now looking into moving my setup into a dedicated Raspberry Pi 5 running Ubuntu. I managed to install Bitcoin Core via Snap, however, I'm struggling to point to the Bitcoin data dir in the external SSD.

Ubuntu recognizes it under `/media/myUser/Elements` and I can see the content via the GUI, but Bitcoin Core fails to start when I point to it in the `bitcoin.conf` file. I was expecting to see it under `/mnt`, but not sure why it's not showing up there.

Do I need to partition the external SSD for the Linux filesystem or something of the sort?

Would greatly appreciate any help!

**Tags:** full-node, linux, ubuntu, windows, datadir

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I believe snaps have some security mechanism that prevents them from seeing external disk filesystems. I don't know the solution, so this isn't a full answer, but perhaps it's enough to help figure out what to look for.  
> **username_0**: This was actually it :) Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! This worked https://askubuntu.com/a/1345221  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2024-12-03. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

As @username_1 suggested, it had to do with the fact that snap doesn't allow packages to communicate with mounted devices by default.
This helped resolve my issue.
sudo snap connect packagename:removable-media


---

