4 ms·

Adbfs-rootless – Mount Android phones on Linux with adb. No root required

spion 2y ago
Hello, maintainer here. Happy to see this little project on the front page of HN. Unfortunately it hasn't received the appropriate attention from me lately, mainly because of the difficulties of running tests (and the android emulator) on GH action runners. Attempt to add some basic tests can be found here https://github.com/spion/adbfs-rootless/pull/62 https://github.com/spion/adbfs-rootless/pull/62 This submission motivated me to check out the latest state of virtualization in GHA and it looks like GH shipped it for all linux runners https://github.com/actions/runner-images/discussions/7191#discussioncomment-9018826 https://github.com/actions/runner-images/discussions/7191#di... - so it might be possible to get that PR working now.
- Neywiny 2y ago
  Hi maintainer, can you please outline the differences in functionality between using this on a rooted vs non-rooted device? Thank you
  - spion 2y ago
    I've never used it with a rooted device! :) I don't think there should be any significant difference in funcitonality, other than perhaps the set of directories accessible. In general, you should be able to access anything that you can view / access using `adb shell ls`, `adb pull` and `adb push`
    - Neywiny 2y ago
      Understood, thanks. I thought there was some exploit or something in play.
      - spion 2y ago
        Nothing that exciting, I'm afraid.
- qot 2y ago
  Thank you for writing this. I use it routinely to back up my phone by mounting it and then simply running rsync.
  - cyberpunk 2y ago
    Am I missing something? Your phone isn’t using encrypted storage?
    - LoganDark 2y ago
      Encrypted storage is an implementation detail of the filesystem. Once you're at the point of connecting an unlocked phone to a computer running ADB, you can just transfer files and not care about whether or not the underlying data is encrypted at rest.
  - replete 2y ago
    Are you rooted? Have you ever tried restoring a backup in this way? Backup on android (without Google Services' online) is awful, SeedVault exists but has issues.
- politelemon 2y ago
  Hi there do you think adbfs could work with adb over TCP (wifi)?
  - politelemon 2y ago
    Answer - yes it can. Pair over TCP like normal, connect to it, then follow the README. ``` adb pair xxx:xxx adb connect yyy:yyy adb devices mkdir -p testhere ./adbfs testhere ls testhere ```
- andrewshadura 2y ago
  Can't you somehow run adb on real Linux?
sagz 2y ago
MacDroid on MacOS is a shareware utility providing similar functionality of using ADB Shell level FS access inside a directory in Finder using the new File Provider API
Groxx 2y ago
ADB is such a crummy experience for file transfers, and Android File Transfer is somehow even worse. This sounds great!
- pzo 2y ago
  Imagine how worse experience is if you are iOS user or developer - i Have to manually in xcode in gui download app container and unpack it change some mesh assets, pack again and switch containers in xcode again.
  - carstenhag 2y ago
    Bit of derailing, but I don't understand how apple's DX is still so bad everywhere.
    - sulandor 2y ago
      barrier of entry = security ?
dzaima 2y ago
It's also possible to run sshd in Termux (https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Remote_Access https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Remote_Access), and mount a regular sshfs on the Linux side. Though this may not allow modifying files in external storage. The Linux side being: sshfs -o follow_symlinks,IdentityFile=/your/termux/id_rsa -p 8022 Linux@$PHONE_IP:/ /path/to/where/to/mount
heavyset_go 2y ago
If you use KDE Connect, which is cross-platform and not just for KDE, you can mount your phone's storage remotely without touching adb. I believe it uses sshfs in the background. It's all automated so you don't have to think about how it works.
- Rygian 2y ago
  KDE Connect is the bee's knees :-) I use it every day to interact between my phones and computers (browse files across devices, transfer them, use the phone screen as computer trackpad, control media playing on another device, run remote commands safely... and I know I'm not using even half of the features).
  - mxmilkiib 2y ago
    Seriously handy. I wish accessing the main app from the tray indicator icon only required one click tho, I keep forgetting that part of it exists!
- rcthompson 2y ago
  Unfortunately KDE Connect prevents one of my devices from ever sleeping (IIRC it was my Tab S6 Lite w/LineargeOS), resulting in only a few hours of battery life, so I had to stop using it.
- tocs3 2y ago
  Thanks, I had no idea this existed. For those that just want to cick a link: https://kdeconnect.kde.org/ https://kdeconnect.kde.org/
hexagonwin 2y ago
Sweet! Have been using rsync daemon with Termux over USB for file transfer till now as MTP is too buggy. I should try this :)
aw1cks 2y ago
I wonder how this stacks up to using something like mtpfs[0] which I have found pretty flaky in the past. Cool project! [0] https://www.adebenham.com/mtpfs/ https://www.adebenham.com/mtpfs/
ShadyAlpaca 2y ago
[dead]
anthk 2y ago
Just use Primitive FTPD. https://f-droid.org/es/packages/org.primftpd/ https://f-droid.org/es/packages/org.primftpd/
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

Hello, maintainer here. Happy to see this little project on the front page of HN. Unfortunately it hasn't received the appropriate attention from me lately, mainly because of the difficulties of running tests (and the android emulator) on GH action runners. Attempt to add some basic tests can be found here https://github.com/spion/adbfs-rootless/pull/62 https://github.com/spion/adbfs-rootless/pull/62 This submission motivated me to check out the latest state of virtualization in GHA and it looks like GH shipped it for all linux runners https://github.com/actions/runner-images/discussions/7191#discussioncomment-9018826 https://github.com/actions/runner-images/discussions/7191#di... - so it might be possible to get that PR working now.

Neywiny 2y ago
Hi maintainer, can you please outline the differences in functionality between using this on a rooted vs non-rooted device? Thank you
- spion 2y ago
  I've never used it with a rooted device! :) I don't think there should be any significant difference in funcitonality, other than perhaps the set of directories accessible. In general, you should be able to access anything that you can view / access using `adb shell ls`, `adb pull` and `adb push`
  - Neywiny 2y ago
    Understood, thanks. I thought there was some exploit or something in play.
    - spion 2y ago
      Nothing that exciting, I'm afraid.
qot 2y ago
Thank you for writing this. I use it routinely to back up my phone by mounting it and then simply running rsync.
- cyberpunk 2y ago
  Am I missing something? Your phone isn’t using encrypted storage?
  - LoganDark 2y ago
    Encrypted storage is an implementation detail of the filesystem. Once you're at the point of connecting an unlocked phone to a computer running ADB, you can just transfer files and not care about whether or not the underlying data is encrypted at rest.
- replete 2y ago
  Are you rooted? Have you ever tried restoring a backup in this way? Backup on android (without Google Services' online) is awful, SeedVault exists but has issues.
politelemon 2y ago
Hi there do you think adbfs could work with adb over TCP (wifi)?
- politelemon 2y ago
  Answer - yes it can. Pair over TCP like normal, connect to it, then follow the README. ``` adb pair xxx:xxx adb connect yyy:yyy adb devices mkdir -p testhere ./adbfs testhere ls testhere ```
andrewshadura 2y ago
Can't you somehow run adb on real Linux?

sagz 2y ago

MacDroid on MacOS is a shareware utility providing similar functionality of using ADB Shell level FS access inside a directory in Finder using the new File Provider API

Groxx 2y ago

ADB is such a crummy experience for file transfers, and Android File Transfer is somehow even worse. This sounds great!

pzo 2y ago
Imagine how worse experience is if you are iOS user or developer - i Have to manually in xcode in gui download app container and unpack it change some mesh assets, pack again and switch containers in xcode again.
- carstenhag 2y ago
  Bit of derailing, but I don't understand how apple's DX is still so bad everywhere.
  - sulandor 2y ago
    barrier of entry = security ?

dzaima 2y ago

It's also possible to run sshd in Termux (https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Remote_Access https://wiki.termux.com/wiki/Remote_Access), and mount a regular sshfs on the Linux side. Though this may not allow modifying files in external storage. The Linux side being: sshfs -o follow_symlinks,IdentityFile=/your/termux/id_rsa -p 8022 Linux@$PHONE_IP:/ /path/to/where/to/mount

heavyset_go 2y ago

If you use KDE Connect, which is cross-platform and not just for KDE, you can mount your phone's storage remotely without touching adb. I believe it uses sshfs in the background. It's all automated so you don't have to think about how it works.

Rygian 2y ago
KDE Connect is the bee's knees :-) I use it every day to interact between my phones and computers (browse files across devices, transfer them, use the phone screen as computer trackpad, control media playing on another device, run remote commands safely... and I know I'm not using even half of the features).
- mxmilkiib 2y ago
  Seriously handy. I wish accessing the main app from the tray indicator icon only required one click tho, I keep forgetting that part of it exists!
rcthompson 2y ago
Unfortunately KDE Connect prevents one of my devices from ever sleeping (IIRC it was my Tab S6 Lite w/LineargeOS), resulting in only a few hours of battery life, so I had to stop using it.
tocs3 2y ago
Thanks, I had no idea this existed. For those that just want to cick a link: https://kdeconnect.kde.org/ https://kdeconnect.kde.org/

hexagonwin 2y ago

Sweet! Have been using rsync daemon with Termux over USB for file transfer till now as MTP is too buggy. I should try this :)

aw1cks 2y ago

I wonder how this stacks up to using something like mtpfs[0] which I have found pretty flaky in the past. Cool project! [0] https://www.adebenham.com/mtpfs/ https://www.adebenham.com/mtpfs/

ShadyAlpaca 2y ago

[dead]

anthk 2y ago

Just use Primitive FTPD. https://f-droid.org/es/packages/org.primftpd/ https://f-droid.org/es/packages/org.primftpd/

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]