Linux newbie needing a steer

[stigzler]

Hi folks,

So starting messing around with sbc's + linux. I'm looking to create small hobby projects to run emulators.

a) I've mainly used windows to this point so new to linux. Is this the best place for linux advice (when it comes to running emulators) or are there other sites?

b) One thing I can't get my head around is the filesystem mechanics. Let's say I setup a sbc with an onboard sdcard + setup my emulators to run off a few images installed to this. If I later add another storage device (say an ssd via usb3) + put images on this, will i need to point the emulator elsewhere, or does it get 'pooled' For example - in Windows this'd install a drive with a different letter. Does this happen in Linux?

c) With the above - if it does pool them, but I want users to be able to install images to the ssd drive on a windows machine first and then plug into the linux device - how do you go about this? Do you just recreate some kind of folder structure on the ssd drive to mirror the existing one on the existing linux drive?

<confused.com atm. And, I know, rtfm, right? Have you seen how many manuals and info there is out there though! Need a steer/direction to start.

[nitrogen_widget]

The best place to go for general sbc linux info would be the forums of the device you buy.
I would strongly recommend an RPI 2 or 3 if just starting out.

The raspberry pi forums are a wealth of info.

[stigzler]

Thanks nitrogen. The device I bought will remain nameless - great device but the forum design is lacking, making good support difficult.

Yeah - I'll check out the official Raspberry Pi forums unless anyone here knows the above..

[mattyams]

I can throw a little bits your way.

It does not pool them.  Linux treats new drives (or sd cards in your case) as seperate. The sd card you have all your boot files on will most likely be called 'sda0' which means SD Card A, partition 0.  When you add another sd card it will be 'sdb0' which means...well you get the idea.

Hope that helped.

[CanadianRyGuy]

I'm curious what your end goal is with this project? I'd be curious to see a more powerful sbc be capable of running more graphically intense games like Blitz and the like.

[nitrogen_widget]

I'm curious what your end goal is with this project? I'd be curious to see a more powerful sbc be capable of running more graphically intense games like Blitz and the like.

would probably have to go with a mini-itx i5/i7 motherboard to do that.
those are about 7"x7".
but cost a lot more than a linux SBC.

[UEDan]

This place may not be the best to learn linux. See mostly RetroPi imaging than actual linux usage. Which distro does the thing run?

Linux file system.... think of it as 1 big drive with no letter("/" is the equivalent to c:\ root directory) and drive are mounted similarly Windows' drive to folder mounting.
Typically, storage devices would be mounted to /mnt/whatever but in reality you can mount it anywhere. This is the same for any file system, network shares, CD drives, etc.