Symlinks for Game Files (specifically for eXoWin9x)

[Burizado]

Hello.

I am trying to incorporate the new eXoWin9x project into my current LaunchBox build.  In the manual it mentions using symlinks to point to the .\eXo\ folder if you want to store it in a different location than LaunchBox.  This is an image extract from the eXoWin9x manual:

 

My question is where do you put the symlink in the LaunchBox folder structure?  Do you create it in the .\LaunchBox\Games\ directory and then point it to wherever I put the .\eXo\ directory?

 

In my case I have LaunchBox installed/extracted on my C:\ drive, but keep all my game files on a portable drive D:\.  All of my platform .xml files have hard coded paths for each file.  I am assuming I could do the same for all my other platforms as well.  I would just need to create the symlinks for each of the platforms and then update all the .xml files to point to the symlinks rather than the D:\ drive.  If I am thinking of this correctly.  Does anyone else use symlinks for their game files?

 

Edited Tuesday at 08:56 PM by Burizado

[sundogak]

6 hours ago, Burizado said:

Hello.

I am trying to incorporate the new eXoWin9x project into my current LaunchBox build.  In the manual it mentions using symlinks to point to the .\eXo\ folder if you want to store it in a different location than LaunchBox.  This is an image extract from the eXoWin9x manual:

 

My question is where do you put the symlink in the LaunchBox folder structure?  Do you create it in the .\LaunchBox\Games\ directory and then point it to wherever I put the .\eXo\ directory?

 

In my case I have LaunchBox installed/extracted on my C:\ drive, but keep all my game files on a portable drive D:\.  All of my platform .xml files have hard coded paths for each file.  I am assuming I could do the same for all my other platforms as well.  I would just need to create the symlinks for each of the platforms and then update all the .xml files to point to the symlinks rather than the D:\ drive.  If I am thinking of this correctly.  Does anyone else use symlinks for their game files?

 

For all the eXo setups there are two main folders where there are large file sizes that can make sense to use symlinks if stored on another drive (or network). The main thing to keep in mind is wherever you symlink things is you still have to keep the folder structure that eXo expects after it had run an install. One is the eXo folder which is what is mentioned in the instructions. The other is the Content folder, both are located in the root of the Launchbox directory as shown below:

 

For eXoWin, the eXoWin3x folder (with all the game zips) goes inside the eXo directory and that is the one you would symlink. I don't have the eXoWin3x files installed in my setup but the eXoWin3X (and others such as eXoDOS) go here similar to what I have for Apple IIGS, ScummVM, and ExoDos.  I also installed the magazines, catalogs, and books as symlinks to network location.  The folder icons with the arrow are symlinked (not shortcuts!) to my network drive and those files within are not locally installed on the C drive as it is a SSD and not enough room.  

Contents of the eXoWin3x directory that would be within the ../Launchbox/eXo/eXoWin3x directory above if I installed it:

 

The other candidate for symlink is the "Content" folder which has all the images, manuals, etc.  

Edited Wednesday at 02:57 AM by sundogak

[Burizado]

Thank you for the details and images @sundogak.  It makes it quite helpful!

 

I actually created a symlink of the 'eXo' folder located in the LaunchBox folder, and just keep all the eXo stuff on my external drive.  I haven't tried running/installing a game yet, but do you see any issue having it setup this way?

[dragon57]

As long as the symlink is correct and still accessible to the OS and apps, you should have no problem. That is the purpose of symlinks, to do what you are needing to do.