[techcareuk]

hi, I'm trying to configure my samsung S5 (v5 lollipop) to relocate kodi data to the EXT SD card in a directory 'kodi_data' (also tried 'kodi') but having no success, kodi just black screens and crashes out when the xbmc_env.properties file is present in the root (storage/emulated/0) directory.

the xbmc_env.properties entries ive tried are:
xbmc.data=/storage/extSdCard/kodi_data
xbmc.data=/mnt/extSdCard/kodi_data
xbmc.data=/storage/extSdCard/kodi
xbmc.data=/mnt/extSdCard/kodi

has anyone successfully configured a S5 to relocate Kodi's data directories to the ExtSD or can offer advice?

Thanks
Mark

[technisol]

I'm guessing it's the same issue I have on my Samsung tablet. The version of Android KitKat does not allow apps without proper permissions to write to extsdcard. You can test for this by downloading ES File Explorer and trying to copy something to ExtSDCard... If you need the My Files app on the device to write something to extsdcard I believe that indicates the problem.

Any fix would probably have to be based around getting root and granting permissions for KODI to write to extsdcard. Maybe one of the wise android mavens could step in and expound on the process.

EDIT: I went and googled "Samsung Galaxy Note set permissions for extsdcard", so you may want to do some reading. But, it looks like you do need to get root.

Frankly this sort of crap is a pain in the ass and more than silly. One more way to jack you up on your own device. If the firmware is going to restrict a function, it should also offer the option of letting the user simply grant permissions for certain apps in a simple and accessible manner without making it a major project just to uncover what you need to do it. You'd think we were back to the dark ages of corporate computing where one had to pay homage to the cult of IT & Programming to get any damn thing done that some corporate security expert hadn't thought anyone might ever need to do. I understand the need for security, and controls, but on personal devices there should be accommodation for the user's needs without needing to become an android maven -hell limit it and disclaim it as needed to save your corporate butts, but offer a simple solution that can be menu based under storage or the like.

[jmh2002]

If I understand correctly Samsung has released Lollipop for the S5 - does it solve this problem?

[techcareuk]

Technisol - Thanks for your reply, I think you may be correct in your assumption, and yes HOW ANNOYING!
the phone updated to V5 Lollipop and was pretty much unusable, I agree Samsung should have provided an easy way to grant access for an app to write to the ExtSD, its ridiculous that the device is restricted to only allow use of internal memory in this way when the potential to use the extra memory of the ExtSD is there underneath.


jmh2002 - my S5 has already been upgraded to V5 lollipop (as stated in post 1) so no it hasn't resolved it, in fact when it upgraded it was so sluggish it was unusable and I had to install app2sd and clear a lot of apps of the device to create some free space to speed it up.

[jmh2002]

I read that there were further samsung updates to fix the initial Lollipop S5 upgrade, which appeared to be a bit of a disaster. I guess that is what I was asking because that seems to have made people's S5s usable again.

I was hoping the fix for the ExtSDCard was included too.

[techcareuk]

jmh2002 - ahh i see what you mean now,
mine is V5.0.2, it installed a second update from 5.0 but didnt really make any difference,

this may be heading a bit off topic but maybe it will help others who have found this thread because their s5's are running sluggish,
Installing 'All-In-One Toolbox' from the playstore made the biggest improvement for me, it includes app2SD so I was able to move a lot of the installed apps to the internal SD and keep them there freeing up some device system memory which improved the sluggishness of V5 a lot and made my S5 usable again.

The main problem is Kodi, its the biggest user of system memory and moving the userdata to the ExtSD would have been the answer but as Technisol explains it appears its not possible for apps to write to the ExtSD on the standard firmware, i'm going to look at rooting my phone and if it works will update the thread with the details!

[techcareuk]

Technisol thanks for the additional info in your edit , i am looking into getting root access but bit nervous about trying.

I confirmed ES file explorer only gives the option of writing to the SDcard (internal ram) and not the ExtSdCard as you say but I have found that file manager HD has no problem writing to the extsd? Which leaves me a bit puzzled?

[technisol]

I would guess the other file manager had permissions set in the app when you installed it -i.e., you granted it permissions when you installed it.

I suppose it's a brute force approach, but if apps like KODI don't request write permissions for extsdcard then you have to grant them globally I guess... maybe there is a way to grant them to each app individually, but so far I'm not really worried about, "horrors", apps writing to my external sdcard as a big issue... Honestly, I'd like to know what the big security bugaboo is. I really don't want to have to root mine either and have to deal with Samsung's security bs, unroot to upgrade, etc. So far I'm just putting up with it, and If I need to move something from internal storage to extsdcard I use the My Files program.