In this chapter we will explore how we can expand the storage options of the Raspberry Pi 2 beyond that of the microSD card.
As you come to write more applications or use different media types on your device you may find that the microSD card becomes too restrictive. Also, using the Raspberry Pi with an external HDD allows you to create your own Network-attached storage (NAS) device. We will explore the Samba suite of software to achieve this.
In order to use these devices there are some modifications that are required in the boot up process.
We will cover the following topics:
Setting up the external HDD
Network attached storage
Installing Samba
Testing the NAS for different operating systems
We'll start by looking at the Raspberry Pi and how it boots up, then discuss what changes are required.