USB device (Android) not seen by fdisk by Ubuntu

odinbruderV

7/9/24, 4:57 AM

Files on an Android phone are accessible via 'Files' in Ubuntu, however, I cannot view the thumbnails on the Android in the 'Download' folder, they must be transferred to the hdd for the thumbnails to be shown, this is a 'rights' issue it would seem.

So, I ran fdisk -l in Terminal and got the 3 partitions on the hdd (sda1,2,5) but, no sign of 'sdb anything'.

To me, this means that GNOME can see the Android file structure but, Ubuntu can NOT!

If, Terminal refuses to see a USB drive (Android) using fdisk -l then what is there to be done?

I cannot mount a drive that can't be seen. I can't chmod a drive that cannot be seen. If Terminal (root) cannot see the Android phone file system, then how can 'Files' or the file manager see it just fine except for the thumbnail issue in the Android Download folder?

I thought it "is possible" that Google has caused this to happen to defend their phones. But, if I can see the files in GNOME, then what is the point in hiding the device in Terminal?

I have tried to pop-in a thumb drive and see if it is granted privileges and Terminal and fdisk see it just fine

<Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sdb1 * 2048 240351231 240349184 114.6G c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

and

`Disk /dev/sda: 931.53 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors Disk model: TOSHIBA MQ04ABF1 Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x7a34010a

<Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sda1 * 2048 1050623 1048576 512M b W95 FAT32 /dev/sda2 1052670 1953523711 1952471042 931G 5 Extended /dev/sda5 1052672 1953523711 1952471040 931G 83 Linux>

I don't know if this is a permissions issue, an Android issue or a USB issue!

Shouldn't an Android phone connected to an Ubuntu box via USB show up in Terminal using fdisk -l as sdb1, just like the thumb drive did above?

1 + 0

partitioning

usb-drive

mount

android

gnome-terminal

Score:0

Ubuntu

Marco

7/9/24, 5:44 AM

Be aware, that Linux is a real multiuser OS. Everything mounted by the system can be seen by all users logged in (with respect of the filesystem permissions).
Additionally only "root" can mount drives directly in the system (usually automatically through udev).

Besides this Android "mounts" are using a different protocol (mtp) which is not the same as a usb-memory uses.

In Android setting you can switch from "mtp" to a protocol used by Digital Cameras (ptp).

All for "best user experience" or "backward compatibility".

I am not sure if there is any Android who can share the files as usb-memory.

+ 1

odinbruderV

7/18/24, 9:58 PM

thanks Marco! udev, got it. new to Ubuntu but, I believe sudo to be su and then, of course it is root, ptp, chk, sounds like a winner, just learned to use the "Search" function in Settings rather than piss around looking for it - fonding it - swearing I wouldn't forget how i got to it - then, forgetting by the next time I need it! :)) I used to use Termux (sp) and need to start again. great post! thanks again !

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EN: USB device (Android) not seen by fdisk by Ubuntu

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