Using external hard drive as music library

**allspiritseve** · October 23rd, 2008

Currently I have all of my music on my external hard drive, as my laptop hard drive isn't big enough to hold my whole collection plus everything else on it. The way I have it set up right now, if I plug in my external hard drive, it will show all of that music in my player.

I'm wondering though, if its possible to keep everything on the external hard drive, including the library file and playlists (sort of like an ipod). In fact-- I want it to act exactly like an ipod. I want to plug it in and have all of my music and playlists show up in the player, without having to search for music. Is there any way to do that, with any linux player? (amarok, banshee, or rhythmbox is what I currently have installed).

**Therion** · October 23rd, 2008

I believe the answer to your question is "yes". I've used Rhythmbox and done this. What you'll have to put up with, though, is that since you're going to be connecting and dis-connecting the hard drive with your your music library on it Rhythmbox is going to have to rescan all those files each time you connect the drive with your music on it to "rebuild" your library.

Depending on how much music you have in your library this may or may not be an issue for you.

**allspiritseve** · October 23rd, 2008

Originally Posted by Therion

I believe the answer to your question is "yes". I've used Rhythmbox and done this. What you'll have to put up with, though, is that since you're going to be connecting and dis-connecting the hard drive with your your music library on it Rhythmbox is going to have to rescan all those files each time you connect. Depending on how much music you have in your library this may or may not be an issue for you.

I believe that's what I have it doing now. It seems like it could work so much better if it just loaded a remote playlist, instead of using a local playlist and having to scan to make sure every file exists.

Also, it doesn't show external playlists, just local ones from the local library.

**Therion** · October 23rd, 2008

Originally Posted by allspiritseve

It seems like it could work so much better if it just loaded a remote playlist, instead of using a local playlist and having to scan to make sure every file exists.

Yup. I agree.

I'm no expert but I think to accomplish that you'd have to experiment with a different music player. Banshee? Songbird?? I dunno...