Option to install on removable drive

[andreacoradi]

I have 2 SATA SSDs: /dev/sda (the one shown in gparted) and /dev/sdb, both using GPT format, and installer can't see them.
It only shows options for my 2 NVME SSDs and my external drive.

PS: using the beta ISO for VanillaOS

Attached lsblk output:
lsblk.txt

[andreacoradi]

I've tracked down the issue to this piece of code:

vanilla-installer/vanilla_installer/core/disks.py

Lines 193 to 198 in 29f606c

	if os.path.isfile("/sys/block/" + disk + "/removable"):
	with open("/sys/block/" + disk + "/removable") as f:
	removable = int(f.readlines()[0].strip())
	if removable == 1:
	continue

It seems my SSDs are mounted as removable?
The even stranger thing is that my external drive (/dev/sdc) is not...

[taukakao]

Hm, we can't really help this if it's just linux reporting incorrect data. How are sda and sdc plugged in?

But this check is weird anyway. There should be an option to install to an external drive regardless.

[andreacoradi]

I found out that it was related to a setting in the BIOS called "SATA Hotplug enable". If I disable this it's no longer considered removable.
I agree with the feeling that maybe this check is unnecessary

[taukakao]

I don't think it's unnecessary.
I think there should be an option "Install on removable drive"

[trymeouteh]

Would like to see this as an option with the ability to also encrypt the installation with full disk encryption.

[muhdsalm]

Is installing on a removable drive supported by Vanilla OS? (I'm talking about stuff like FSGuard - would that still work even if the drive was removable?)

[taukakao]

I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work.