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My Android device won't connect. I've never got MTP to work, I've only ever got it to connect by USB mass storage, which was how it was working most recently. But now, since 13.04, it seems that option has been taken away entirely.

I need to be able to connect by USB to transfer files.

When I plug in the device I get an error that says Unable to open MTP device '[usb:002,003]':

enter image description here

After some web searching, I found that I might need a program called go-mtpfs, so I tried that, and it failed:

$ go-mtpfs /media/MyAndroid
2013/07/16 16:41:43 compiled against libmtp 1.1.5
Device 0 (VID=04e8 and PID=685e) is a Samsung Galaxy Y.
2013/07/16 16:41:43 found device Samsung: Galaxy Y (04e8:685e) @ bus 2, dev 3
: 
LIBMTP PANIC: Unable to find interface & endpoints of device
2013/07/16 16:41:43 rdev.open failed: open: open returned nil

How do I get my USB device to just connect, automatically, like it used to?

4
  • install cyanogenmod and get rid of this MTP crap. You cannot get to work what basically is still under development (MTP). cyanogen mod uses some different filesystem or a fslayer (dunno for sure). In conclusion I know your problem very good, I tried many solutions. Now I am using cyanogenmod and have no problems at all. I can connect to my Android via USB, Bluetooth and at home I use Samba Filesharing to have access to my android via network (WLAN). This way I don't even need to connect it via usb.
    – mondjunge
    Jul 16, 2013 at 8:08
  • 3
    @mondjunge: I would be happy to "get rid of this MTP crap". It has never worked smoothly for me, and I don't know why it keeps getting imposed on me by Ubuntu and/or Android. However, I'd like to not have to reformat and reinstall a whole new OS on my phone if I can avoid it. I've done that before and accidentally bricked a phone one time. So I'll keep that as a last resort option and hopefully someone can suggest something with less risk.
    – Questioner
    Jul 16, 2013 at 8:20
  • before I rooted my devices (LG Google Nexus 4) I tried with the solution provided here: webupd8.org/2013/01/upgrade-to-gvfs-with-mtp-support-in.html It worked to some extend. Main problem was, that it stopped working from time to time, in the middle of data transfer.
    – mondjunge
    Jul 16, 2013 at 13:38
  • you can try solution from here
    – Alex Jones
    Dec 11, 2014 at 22:52

5 Answers 5

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On your Galaxy when you plug it in, a notification should pop up in your notification area saying that USB is connected. If you tap it, it should bring up two options. One is use as mtp device and the other is use it as mass storage. Tap mass storage then tap the new notification that pops up and tap the button that says "mount USB storage". It'll pick it up like a thumb drive (or two thumb drives, depending on if you have a memory card.) From then on when you connect it, just tap "mount USB storage" ... or so it works like that on my stock Galaxy S II. Hope it helps!

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  • 2
    For my new Nexus 4 this only provides me access to the camera directory...
    – mondjunge
    Jul 16, 2013 at 13:39
  • Mass storage is removed from newer Android builds. Mar 27, 2016 at 16:42
  • @JoseGómez - While this is true, the Samsung Galaxy Y does not support any version of Android later than 2.3, so it is somewhat irrelevant to this particular question.
    – Jules
    Aug 9, 2016 at 22:13
  • @Jules - true, I reached this question for a different Samsung Galaxy phone, to which it is also relevant. Aug 10, 2016 at 10:25
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this may help(if not please give feedback):

sudo apt-get install mtp-tools mtpfs
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  • 1
    worked for me but after a reboot of the machine Apr 18, 2015 at 7:59
  • It works for me .. :)
    – Vicky
    Jun 16, 2015 at 8:56
  • does not work for me. MTP sucks on ubuntu. sometimes it works, but then stops working and I have to restart, but then it fails again. can't use it with my note 3 android phone Jul 23, 2015 at 17:24
0

Might be the same problem as: 14.04 Cannot create/delete/manipulate files on my Android device via USB

This answer resolved it for me: https://askubuntu.com/a/564452/154516

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Only for suggestion, you can use kde connect indicator application in ubuntu and kde connect android app to sync notification, transfer files and many other feature.

Instruction to install kde connect indicator on ubuntu:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:vikoadi/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install indicator-kdeconnect kdeconnect

reference: Webupd8

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An other possibility, if adb commands have been used just before : adb kill-server

Works for me, hope it could be usefull... (Could be an explaination of the benefit of reboot ?)

[Computer = Mint 20.1 Cinnamon, 5.4 Linux kernel, phone = Galaxy S7 under /e/OS see https://e.foundation/]

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