moving files using USB to Android smartphones

[czakalwe]

Hi I have done a quick search but not sure if any threads fit what I am trying to do, although searching the web it looks like plenty of other people are having similar issues ( mostly with PCs running Windows).
I have just got a HTC One X plus smart phone with android 4.1.1, it came free with a phone contract. I chose it because I understand it is basically a linux OS and I expected to be able to connect it via USB to my PCLinuxOS computer and move files (mostly music, pics, etc) nice and easy. Something which is almost impossible to do with my daughters Ipad!!

I have now discovered that it won't connect with USB, instead it uses MTP, not so easy. It seams a simple idea, I have tried the AIRDROID App and it looks very clever, however I don't have wireless on my computer and I think because I am wired in to my router the computer cannot see airdroid on the phone.

Now if I connect the USB cable to my computer I get a device notification > USB Imaging interface with 3 actions . download with digikam or Gwenview or open with Dolphin. In Dolphin it shows up as USB PTP Class Camera but it cannot see any files.

SO here's how I can get to see files and copy them over a USB, but there are issues.
If I open Clementine the phone shows up as Android Phone (3.5GB) in devices not mounted .
Double click to mount and then double click to open, which works but Clementine can't copy music over to the phone.
Right clicking gives me an option to see device properties and this tells me the Device > /dev/bus/usb/002/007 and the mount point > /home/me/.gvfs/gphoto2 mount on usb%3A002,007.

If I open the mount point > /home/me/.gvfs/gphoto2 mount on usb%3A002,007 in Dolphin I can see the directory of the smartphone and also move files to and from my computer into the phone, great! The only problem is I get a message for each file > Could not change permissions.

 Is there any one out there who would be able to smooth this process out a bit;

1/ If Clementine can mount an Android phone, can I do it more simply with a command in Konsole?
2/ Also can I change the mount point to some place easier to find, for example /mnt or /media?
3/ Finally how do I fix the permissions problem? because I want to move more than 30GB of files and I have to click each message!

Apart from that I looks like a good phone.

[µT6]

if you phone only has mtp protocol to move files using usb, linux atm has no viable support for it, at least not one that is easy and stable

if you can't set the usb port in it to work as mass usb storage device, airdroid app can help you there

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sand.airdroid&hl=en

it creates a web interface to access from your pc the contents of the sd card via a web browser that will ask for a password and only will work with a wifi connection in your local network

if you device is rooted, then you can install samba for android and open that windows share from your linux machine and do what you need on the sd card

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.funkyfresh.samba&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5mdW5reWZyZXNoLnNhbWJhIl0.

if what you want to do is copy files from the machine to your smartphone es file explorer has a way to explore local shares and you can copy form it and to it

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5lc3Ryb25ncy5hbmRyb2lkLnBvcCJd

all those are free on google play

[czakalwe]

Samba would be great as I have had experience with it hooking up to a windows laptop in the past. The thing is I don't know anything about rooting the phone and would prefer to find a method that avoids it for now.
Like I said I have tried the Airdroid App and it works great with my windows laptop which is connected to my router via wireless. But my computer is wired to the router which somehow causes problems.
Also transfering files via USB is quicker than mtp isn't it? Plus Clementine can actualy mount the phone so it should be possible from Konsole?

[µT6]

"Also transfering files via USB is quicker than mtp isn't it? "

there is two options, mtp and usb mass storage(also called msc on some devices)

both work over usb port, both seems to be equally fast to me but msc gives more control i think, mtp on windows works weird i think, on linux supposedly there will be support soon but not yet

it is better not to mount the sd card on the pc, i had problems with the partition in the past and had to format the the microsd again, if your device doesn't have a microsd, only internal storage, then it could be different and couldn't tell if better of worse

"Like I said I have tried the Airdroid App and it works great with my windows laptop which is connected to my router via wireless. But my computer is wired to the router which somehow causes problems."

about accessing from the wired machine, i have done it and didn't found problems, what problems did you had?

what browser did you used?  the app works only on chrome and firefox

"Plus Clementine can actualy mount the phone so it should be possible from Konsole?"

yes, the phone can be seen but the problem is that the mtp support is not what we need yet, and clementine will handle the phone as a mp3 player, and it isn't that

"Samba would be great as I have had experience with it hooking up to a windows laptop in the past. The thing is I don't know anything about rooting the phone and would prefer to find a method that avoids it for now."

rooting is the process of allow root access to apps on your android phone, it is done differently on each phone, some phones are simpler to root than others but there is lots of information about the process

in some models it requires to replace the firmware of the phone with another one, in others just edit a file, others just use a tool that changes a permission of a file, each model uses a different approach

for some brands that procedure will void warranty when you take it to service if it breaks, but other brands won't say anything about it

having said that, this is a video explaining how to do it on your phone

How to root HTC One X Plus - Full rooting Guide HTC One X+

also a link for the process

http://androidforums.com/one-x-plus-all-things-root/626339-one-x-plus-all-things-root-guide.html

in general, rooting has been a good experience on my xperia, especially with the android version i put on it and other things i changed

i am out of the warranty now, so i do what i want with it and when some part breaks i will fix it or get a new one

[muungwana]

the best tool seem to be "go-mtpfs" hosted at: https://github.com/hanwen/go-mtpfs

[AussieBear]

czakalwe,

One other way to go is to mount the HTC as a regular USB storage drive.

Another poster indicated that they had problems, however, I cut-and-paste
files to/from my Android phone all the time with out issue.

Just plugging the phone in with a USB cable will by default
mount it as a USB imaging device.  I have found this to be completely
useless as you found.

Plug a USB cable into our PCLinuxOS PC first. Do NOT plug the
phone in yet.

From the Android "System Settings" menu select "More..." in the
Wireless and Network group.

You can get to the System Settings by touching the area to the left
of the home button.

Select "USB Utilities".

You should see "USB Mass Storge" and a Button that reads
"Connect storage to PC". Press the button.

A dialogue will appear that reads "Connect USB cable to use
mass storage. There will be a "Cancel" button. Don't worry about
the button.

Now plug the USB cable into your phone.

A new screen with the green Android robot will appear that
reads "USB Connected" and button that reads "Turn on USB storage".
Press the button.

A dialogue will appear telling you that some Applications using
the internal USB memory may stop. Just press the "OK" button.

It may take a little time, however, the screen will evetually show "USB storage
in use" with the Android robot now coloured orange.  A button will also show "Turn off USB storage".

The KDE notifier applet (USB symbol or "trident" on the task bar) should also pop up
showing new USB removable media attached. If you had a phone with a SD card slot, it too will appear.

From the KDE notifier select the newly discovered USB storage and select the option to
"Open with the File Manager". You now have complete access to your Phone memory.

I use this procedure to copy over music, movies and TV shows that I
watch on my bus ride to work.

When done, un-mount the USB device with the KDE notifier as per
usual and then simply press the "Turn off USB Storage" button on
the phone.

Unplug the USB cable and you are good to go.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Aussiebear.