Mounting the Xoom in Linux (as well as adb)

JanetPanic · Feb 27, 2011

The xoom can mount just fine on Linux but it is an MTP not a Mass Storage device.

Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damage to your device, computer, relationship, etc.... The following is meant as a guideline and worked for me but as always use your head.

I did this on my Kubuntu Maverick laptop, but it should apply to most *buntus plus debian. Other flavors should be similar, post a request and I will help if I can. I am familiar with Suse and RHEL/Centos as well but beyond those it will be guess work.

The first thing I would recommend doing is making the device read/write to normal users.

Code:

sudo touch /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules 
echo "SUBSYSTEM==\"usb\", SYSFS{idVendor}==\"22b8\", MODE=\"0666\"" |sudo tee -a /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules 
sudo /etc/init.d/udev restart

NOTE: This also "fixes" adb so it is useable with the xoom as a normal user. If that is all you want you can stop here.
NOTE 2: You could also set an OWNER rather than changing MODE but I chose the most common route for this example/

Now install either mtp-tools or mtpfs for mounting using FUSE. Since I went the fuse route that is what I will conver here. (I installed the mtp-tools package but beyond using it to debug getting mtpfs to work I have never used it before.)
Assuming you already have fuse configured, for (k|x)ubuntu or debian :

Code:

sudo apt-get install mtpfs

If you do not have fuse already configured then do that first. Look it up online if you have any questions. If you get stuck I will try and help but this post is not about how to configure FUSE.

After that it is simple. Plugin your xoom and from the command line type:

Code:

mtpfs mountpoint

and to dismount it

Code:

fusermount -u mountpoint

so in my case I mount it in a subdirectory under home called xoom

Code:

mtpfs /home/janetpanic/xoom

fusermount -u /home/janetpanic/xoom

I have confirmed moving files to and from the actual directories but not from the meta "playlists" directory. I hope that helps...

EDIT: Fixed Typo... had "(idVendor)" instead of the correct "{idVendor}"

sogrady · Feb 27, 2011

Thanks for sharing your workaround. Unfortunately, it's no joy here. After following the procedure described, the terminal returned no error, but on trying to open the Xoom directory via Nautilus, I received the following message:

Code:

Error: Error stating file '/home/sog/Xoom': Transport endpoint is not connected
Please select another viewer and try again.

Unmounting proceeds without error.

Distribution: Ubuntu Lucid x64

JanetPanic · Feb 28, 2011

Did you connect your xoom before or after you mounted? The most likely problem is the undeveloped configuration .

Change the line in 51-android.rules to

Code:

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="22b8", SYMLINK+="libmtp-%k", MODE="0666"
[\code]

Restart udev and then do a "ls -lah /dev/libmtp*" with the device attached and list the output.  I need to figure out if the problem is the udev rule or elsewhere.

If the ls does not show any files then send the result of "lsusb |grep Motorola"  which better list a line or there is something weird going on.

Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

sogrady · Feb 28, 2011

Updated 51-android.rules as directed, then:

sog@bishop:~$ ls -lah /dev/libmtp*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 2011-02-27 19:59 /dev/libmtp-1-4 -> bus/usb/001/004

sog@bishop:~$ lsusb | grep Motorola
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 22b8:70a8 Motorola PCS

ydaraishy · Feb 28, 2011

Wait, you aren't able to get the Xoom to mount as a mass storage device?

ed. The leaked Xoom manual suggests it support mass storage. Phew. You were scaring me there a bit.

sogrady · Feb 28, 2011

as far as I know, it's been confirmed that the current stack does not support mass storage, only mtp.

ydaraishy · Feb 28, 2011

sogrady said:
as far as I know, it's been confirmed that the current stack does not support mass storage, only mtp.

Which stack, Linux or Honeycomb's? Where is it confirmed?

Non-working mass storage is a potential deal breaker.

sogrady · Feb 28, 2011

honeycomb's. see here or here for details.

ydaraishy · Feb 28, 2011

Thanks for the links.

This is a real WTF.

ydaraishy · Feb 28, 2011

Can someone try running this attached apk to see if it enables mass storage? (It just runs enable, it won't run disable, so I don't know what will happen, it might cause apps to crash but rebooting should fix it, standard disclaimers apply, you run this at your own risk, etc., etc., etc.)

I don't have a Xoom, otherwise I'd try this myself.

Relevant code snippet for those interested:

Code:

StorageManager s = (StorageManager)getSystemService(Context.STORAGE_SERVICE);
Class c = s.getClass();
Method m = null;
try 
{
   m = c.getMethod("enableUsbMassStorage", (Class[]) null);
   m.invoke(s);
} 
catch(Exception e) 
{
   // TODO Auto-generated catch block
   e.printStackTrace();
}

There may even be an easier way to achieve this -- I can't verify for myself because Honeycomb isn't in AOSP -- it doesn't work in the sim, but it might on a device: run adb shell, then run "am start -n com.android.systemui/.usb.UsbStorageActivity".

bigrushdog · Feb 28, 2011

ydaraishy said:
Can someone try running this attached apk to see if it enables mass storage? (It just runs enable, it won't run disable, so I don't know what will happen, it might cause apps to crash but rebooting should fix it, standard disclaimers apply, you run this at your own risk, etc., etc., etc.)

I don't have a Xoom, otherwise I'd try this myself.

There may even be an easier way to achieve this -- I can't verify for myself because Honeycomb isn't in AOSP -- it doesn't work in the sim, but it might on a device: run adb shell, then run "am start -n com.android.systemui/.usb.UsbStorageActivity".

I ran the activity manager command and it brought up the usb mass storage screen but did not mount on computer. Also ran the apk but did not mount. Awesome job though. keep fighting the good fight

JanetPanic · Feb 28, 2011

sogrady said:
Updated 51-android.rules as directed, then:

sog@bishop:~$ ls -lah /dev/libmtp*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 15 2011-02-27 19:59 /dev/libmtp-1-4 -> bus/usb/001/004

sog@bishop:~$ lsusb | grep Motorola
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 22b8:70a8 Motorola PCS

Well that is interesting . You have read write privileges on the xoom. Sounds like it is a fuse configuration issue. Do you have any other fuse file systems you run?

Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

ydaraishy · Feb 28, 2011

bigrushdog said:
I ran the activity manager command and it brought up the usb mass storage screen but did not mount on computer. Also ran the apk but did not mount. Awesome job though. keep fighting the good fight

Damn it. Looks like I actually need a device to get it working, and the AOSP drop. It's so moronic why they disabled mass storage.

Hmm. Can someone run, from adb shell, the output from "mount", and "ls /sys/devices/platform" for me?

ydaraishy · Mar 1, 2011

Never mind. Mass storage has been defined out of the stingray (Xoom) kernel. It's not even in the default kernel.

To get mass storage support, be prepared to build your own kernel and reflash the device (once that's done, the am command above or the enabler app will work properly).

sogrady · Mar 11, 2011

I've founded a working(ish) solution. This Xoom forum post details an approach that permits transfer of video/music/etc to the Xoom via Linux.

Couple of caveats:

1. The gnomad2 application is very unstable. Crashes frequently.
2. It appears to be write-only: I have not been able to delete files from the Xoom using this interface.

lshantz · Apr 6, 2011

Thanks for the instructions to connect to a xoom tablet via Linux! However, I'm using Opensuse 11.3 and 11.4 on two different systems. I did install the mtp-tools with no issues, however, there is NO file by the name of mtpfs. A search on the net does not reveal it either. Where do I get this, or what package is it part of? Thanks again. If I can't get this tablet to connect to my linux box, I will have to take it back, since I do NOT use winbloze or Mac. Pretty short sited of Motorola IMHO.

orionshock · Apr 6, 2011

Personally, I've given up on MTP + Linux Combo. I just use a straigt FTP transfer over wifi ( FTP Server on tablet ). It's about the same speeds.

stlsaint · Apr 12, 2011

any headway on this...

i am getting the: Transport endpoint is not connected error still and i have no real experience with FUSE so im stuck to using windows for any transferring.

JanetPanic · Apr 12, 2011

stlsaint said:
i am getting the: Transport endpoint is not connected error still and i have no real experience with FUSE so im stuck to using windows for any transferring.

try following the directions in this thread:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=981774

They are basically a superset of what I posted. If you still have trouble after that post in either thread (this one or that one) and I will try and help as best I can.

stlsaint · Apr 13, 2011

followed the thread up unto the fstab part as i dont wan to edit my fstab without confirmation that it will work. But i get the exact same error with the endpoint text. I am trying this on Crunchbang linux which is based off debain the same way ubuntu is. I am probably going wrong with FUSE somehow but i have never messed with it so i dont know how to troubleshoot it.

Mounting the Xoom in Linux (as well as adb)

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