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Looking for Linux File Transfer Tool for Android 4.0 Devices...

Isthmus

Android Expert
Jan 6, 2010
770
120
As most of you know, Google dumped the transfer via USB feature in Android 4.0 and above and replaced it with MTP File Transfer. The result is that while you no longer have to mount and un-mount your device when connected directly to a computer, your computer needs to have the ability to read MTP. Windows has this ability natively and plugging in any ICS device will immediately cause it recognized by windows and your device shows up as a folder, and immediate access sis given to internal folders. (I've tested this as far back as XP and it works).

MacOS does not have MTP ability that is native to it, so Android released a tool for mac call Android File Transfer. Once installed, This tool allows your Mac to automatically recognize your ICS device and gives you access to internal folders (though your ability to modify those folders is a bit limited).

For Linux systems there seems to be nothing. I find this odd seeing that Android is a Linux base OS. I've done some research into it and there does seem to be a way to hack this functionality into Linux, but it is an ugly hack.

I was wondering whether any of you had any recommendations on how to go about getting a Linux system to recognize an ICS device so that files can be transferred between them through dragging and dropping. Before someone suggests it, yes I know that there are wireless options for doing this, but I'm not interested in them seeing that all of them are a bit too slow for my liking.

Thanks in advance for any help and recommendations.
 
A quick Google turned up an app called SSHDroid. Looks promising. I've not tried it personally. All I do is use my phone as the client (AndFTP) and the desktop machine (Running openssh-server) as the server.

I know you pretty much dismissed wireless (i.e. over the network.) solutions but for me, losing a little speed is worth the convenience of not having to get off the sofa to physically plug into whichever PC I want to transfer to. I guess I'm just too used to transferring over the network using sftp as opposed to sneakernet.
 
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SSHDroid and other likes like FTP are not the solution. We need a native filesystem mount.

You can use FUSE and write a script that mounts it but it is very wonky and sloppy.

I'm also very confused why they dumped USB Mass Storage for MPT.
I can't plug in my phone to my car's usb port anymore.

Furthermore, many of the music sync apps don't work even if you have MPT access like doubletwist:


Galaxy Nexus not recognized for Mac

My Windows7 computer can't see my Galaxy Nexus device
 
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I'm confused. Is this more of a hardware thing? Because I'm running ICS on my Vibrant and I've had no problems accessing the filesystem with my linux laptop. Nothing has changed as far as I can tell.

Yes it is a hardware issue, or more specifically a device issue that is thus far exclusive to the Galaxy nexus, since that device has no USB storage (it's all on-board). Here are a couple of explanations:

Google's Dan Morrill confirms USB Mass Storage in Ice Cream Sandwich, not present in Galaxy Nexus, however - GSMArena Blog

Why Google uses MTP instead of USB file transfer on Android 3. glasskeys.com
 
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A quick Google turned up an app called SSHDroid. Looks promising. I've not tried it personally. All I do is use my phone as the client (AndFTP) and the desktop machine (Running openssh-server) as the server.

I know you pretty much dismissed wireless (i.e. over the network.) solutions but for me, losing a little speed is worth the convenience of not having to get off the sofa to physically plug into whichever PC I want to transfer to. I guess I'm just too used to transferring over the network using sftp as opposed to sneakernet.


I do the same. Have my ubuntu pc as an ftp server then connect using estrongs. Not only do I not need to be in the same room as the pc, I don't even need to be on the same continent
 
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I do the same. Have my ubuntu pc as an ftp server then connect using estrongs. Not only do I not need to be in the same room as the pc, I don't even need to be on the same continent

FTP, Samba, SFTP, SSHFS,webdav are all nice for the occasional small jpegs.

Get back to me when you can copy 4-6 Gigabyte files in the morning before your commute? E.G. a TV show you just downloaded and want to want on your new device.

MTP is still a problem in Ubuntu 12.04.
And MTP is a problem with newer devices not including the Galaxy Nexus.

My new Galaxy Tab plays hissy fits.

You have to install libMTP, MTPFS, gMTP, probe the USB, create fstab entries, and manually mount the devices in the command line.

Even then, there is no guarantees the connection will not disconnect during file copies..

The whole MTP thing has been an exercise in frustration.
 
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FTP, Samba, SFTP, SSHFS,webdav are all nice for the occasional small jpegs.

Get back to me when you can copy 4-6 Gigabyte files in the morning before your commute? E.G. a TV show you just downloaded and want to want on your new device.

MTP is still a problem in Ubuntu 12.04.
And MTP is a problem with newer devices not including the Galaxy Nexus.

My new Galaxy Tab plays hissy fits.

You have to install libMTP, MTPFS, gMTP, probe the USB, create fstab entries, and manually mount the devices in the command line.

Even then, there is no guarantees the connection will not disconnect during file copies..

The whole MTP thing has been an exercise in frustration.

This is me getting back to you. Love you, bye


Of course my tv shows aren't 6 GB though, because my resolution is 480 x 800 so even a movie at that resolution would need to be 8 hours long to be that size
 
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Here's what you need to know to get basic MTP support on whatever linux flavour. Any GUI app you find is just going to be built on top of this so you might as well try it first:

1) FUSE filesystem support in the kernel. Chances are you use a pre-built distro kernel and there is already a module on your system that will autoload, so you don't need to worry about this. If you rolled your own, FUSE is a single option under "filesystems"; you can save some time and just add this to your config as a module, then make modules and make modules_install.

2) Packages for libmtp and mtpfs. Most distros should have these and install the former as a pre-req for the latter.

3) Create a directory to mount into, then:

mtpfs /whatever/mount/path

Done. To disconnect, use umount:

umount /the/path

As per usual, you can't have the directory open or umount will fail.

Works no problem for me with kernel 3.0.6 and Android 4.0.3.
 
Upvote 0
Here's what you need to know to get basic MTP support on whatever linux flavour. Any GUI app you find is just going to be built on top of this so you might as well try it first:

1) FUSE filesystem support in the kernel. Chances are you use a pre-built distro kernel and there is already a module on your system that will autoload, so you don't need to worry about this. If you rolled your own, FUSE is a single option under "filesystems"; you can save some time and just add this to your config as a module, then make modules and make modules_install.

2) Packages for libmtp and mtpfs. Most distros should have these and install the former as a pre-req for the latter.

3) Create a directory to mount into, then:

mtpfs /whatever/mount/path

Done. To disconnect, use umount:

umount /the/path

As per usual, you can't have the directory open or umount will fail.

Works no problem for me with kernel 3.0.6 and Android 4.0.3.

I did that but found out there was a bug with 64bit according to Ubuntu's buglist website.

Also my main workstation running CentOS doesn't have the same accoutrments as my home ubuntu workstation.
 
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Yes it is a hardware issue, or more specifically a device issue that is thus far exclusive to the Galaxy nexus, since that device has no USB storage (it's all on-board). Here are a couple of explanations:

Google's Dan Morrill confirms USB Mass Storage in Ice Cream Sandwich, not present in Galaxy Nexus, however - GSMArena Blog

Why Google uses MTP instead of USB file transfer on Android 3. glasskeys.com

That clears up something for me, from when I started reading this thread. I've got an Ampe A76 ICS 4.0 tablet, and have no problem transferring files on a PC, Windows or Linux. I just plug it in and it mounts automatically. Internal storage and SD-card appearing as two separate drives.
 
Upvote 0
Here's what you need to know to get basic MTP support on whatever linux flavour. Any GUI app you find is just going to be built on top of this so you might as well try it first:

1) FUSE filesystem support in the kernel. Chances are you use a pre-built distro kernel and there is already a module on your system that will autoload, so you don't need to worry about this. If you rolled your own, FUSE is a single option under "filesystems"; you can save some time and just add this to your config as a module, then make modules and make modules_install.

2) Packages for libmtp and mtpfs. Most distros should have these and install the former as a pre-req for the latter.

3) Create a directory to mount into, then:

mtpfs /whatever/mount/path

Done. To disconnect, use umount:

umount /the/path

As per usual, you can't have the directory open or umount will fail.

Works no problem for me with kernel 3.0.6 and Android 4.0.3.

This is working pretty well for me. later, I'm going to try that adbfs someone mentioned, as well
 
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Not much of a solution for those of us with nand-only devices (like my nexus7)
In the case of large files, I tend to just ftp the files back and forth... not pretty, but it works.

I've found that when I am able to get MTP working on linux, it'll fail if the files are too large (or maybe too numerous) - and that's when I resort to ftp. :D
 
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