Access external Drives on HomeAssistant OS (USB, SMB)

Installation Home Assistant OS
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What is the suggested Method to access external Drive on HomeAssistant OS, as of 2023?
More specific, i am looking for a Way to either mount an USB-Stick on HAOS and access the Path with other Addons, and/or (might be even better) to mount an external SMB Source and access that Path with other Addons (not the other Way around).
I couldn’t find any official Guide/Advice on that Topic. Can’t imagine that, but i just couldn’t. If i am blind, could you just point me to that?
Aside that:

  • For mounting USB, i found (rather older) Threads, where People mess around with the Hassio on SSH-Level/Config Files, and while not beeing rock stable, some report to get it working somehow.
  • For mounting SMB, i found a Mod of the Samba Addon which might solve that, but as it digs quite deep into the System (disable Protected Mode), looks like quite undocumented (see Link), and is on its own Repro, i struggle to dare to give it a Try.

Before i Start with one of those approaches, which both neither look intuitive nor End-User-Friendly, i can’t imagine that HAOS/Hassio/HomeAssistantOS doesn’t support just using USB-Sticks. Whats the “official” Solution for Users e.g. access Media Files, just copy over an Backup-File, Import an Image,…?

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I guess the “official” way would be to make HA the server with the samba or ssh add-on and copy your data from remote.

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I do use this addon to make snapshots on my HA directory AND on my NAS:

image
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Is working perfetctly

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Have a look on this, it works fine for some ideas…

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Thanks for all your suggestions!

Well, i think i can’t believe that just popping in a USB-Stick and Start using it isn’t possible straight out of the Box.

Yeah, thats what i do. For some Operations its perfect, for some its just unhandy or even brings significant downsides.

I use AutoBackup, as it has (for me important) Features that Samba Backup doesn’t. Anyway, there are of course other Use-Cases aside the Backups, that Samba Backup of course can’t handle.

This looks very promising!
If it makes Files accessible systemwide, and is working as easy as in the Video, this will be a huge Improvement. Thanks!

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This works nearly perfectly on HAOS!
Of course, it only works for Samba/CIFS, and only shows Media Files.
Nevertheless, in my UseCase its even better, as it doesn’t get included in (Full) Backups, and thus doesn’t blow up the Backups.
Great!

Now - HAOS only needs native Support for an USB-Stick. Can’t imagine why it doesn’t do that Out of the Box. Nowadays poppin’ a Stick is as Basic as brushing Teeth :wink:

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