Important: Move AppData + Docker + User Database Off /DATA After Fresh Install (My Suggestion)

Insight & Feedback
1

I believe this is the main reason many new users run into storage issues or failed app installs on a fresh ZimaOS install.

On a new ZimaOS setup, the system defaults AppData and Docker image storage to ZimaOS-HD (/DATA). On ZimaBoard and ZimaBlade, ZimaOS-HD is often the small internal eMMC (sometimes only around 17GB). As soon as you start installing apps (Nextcloud, Immich, Jellyfin, etc.), Docker images, layers and app databases begin filling /DATA very quickly.

What happens next is very common:

  • OS disk fills up fast
  • app installs hang or fail
  • migrations can fail (destination not empty)
  • large mounts (Dropbox etc) and caches can cause instability

I do not believe this is user error. It is simply the default storage layout.

The 1-minute fix I suggest every new user does (before installing apps)

Before installing any apps, I suggest doing this first:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps
  2. Open Migrating location
  3. Set these to your large HDD/SSD:
  • App data location > select your HDD/SSD disk
  • App image location > select the same HDD/SSD disk
  • User database > select the same HDD/SSD disk

Then install your apps as normal.

This one change prevents most “disk full” problems and keeps the internal ZimaOS disk clean.

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2

Great. I was doing the same thing. I think this important note should go to ZimaOS official documentation.

3

I agree this is an important note and it would be very helpful to include it in the official ZimaOS documentation, especially for new users. On a fresh install, AppData and Docker storage can default to /DATA (ZimaOS-HD), and on ZimaBoard/ZimaBlade that is often the internal disk, which fills quickly once apps are installed.

I can definitely relate to this as it happened to me when I first installed ZimaOS. Once I moved AppData, Docker image storage, and the User Database to a large HDD/SSD early, everything became much smoother.

I believe adding a simple “Recommended first step after install” section in the docs would greatly improve the new user experience and prevent many common storage-related issues.

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4

Definitely. I also learned the lesson hard way. This type of small but important tips and recommendations make our life easier with ZimaOS.

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