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Ubuntu 14.04 doesn't recognize any of my Android devices anymore. (Tried with the Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus)

I thought this was an MTP or ADB-problem, but connecting / disconnecting the devices doesn't even change the output of lsusb or dmesg at all.

It's like the devices aren't even plugged-in. However they both charge normally, when I plug them in, so I can't imagine having a cable-problem or a problem with the android devices themselves.

(I've tried it with usb-debugging on and off on both devices - no difference)

RazorHail
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7 Answers7

29

I have problems with my Ubuntu GNOME 14.04 installation recognizing my Nexus 7 at times, too. This is what works for me:

  1. Make sure the cable can transfer information, that it's not just a power cable.
  2. Make sure you have USB debugging enabled.
  3. Unlock your device.
  4. Connect your device to your computer.
  5. Your device should display a pop-up, asking if you want to accept a connection to your computer. (If you had this pop-up before, you might have ticked the "always accept a connection from this device" checkbox.)
  6. Normally, your device should now pop up in your favorite file manager. If it doesn't, check if ADB finds your device. In a terminal, type adb devices (you might need to be root).
  7. If ADB lists your device, go to Settings > Storage and select the options button in the upper right corner:

Upper right hand corner options

  1. Select the file sharing option you want:

File sharing options

Stefan van den Akker
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The problem was ultimately the cable.

Some USB cables are just for charging. Other cables also support data. I tried 3-4 different cables, until one of them ultimately worked.

That was the reason, why connecting the phone didn't even register with dmesg at all.

RazorHail
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6

To set up device detection on Ubuntu Linux:

Log in as root and create this file: /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules.

Use this format to add each vendor to the file:

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

In this example, the vendor ID is for HTC. The MODE assignment specifies read/write permissions, and GROUP defines which Unix group owns the device node.

Now execute:

 sudo chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules

From developer.android.com/studio/run/device.html

Organic Marble
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As Organic Marble correctly said, you need to create a file /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules with one or more of the following lines: 

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0502", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Acer
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0b05", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #ASUS
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="413c", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Dell
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0489", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Foxconn
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04c5", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Fujitsu
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04c5", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Fujitsu Toshiba
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="091e", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Garmin-Asus
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="18d1", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Google
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="201E", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Haier
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="109b", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Hisense
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #HTC
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="12d1", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Huawei
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="24e3", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #K-Touch
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2116", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #KT Tech
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0482", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Kyocera
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="17ef", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Lenovo
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1004", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #LG
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="22b8", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Motorola
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #MTK
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0409", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #NEC
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2080", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Nook
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0955", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Nvidia
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2257", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #OTGV
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="10a9", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Pantech
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1d4d", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Pegatron
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0471", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Philips
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04da", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #PMC-Sierra
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05c6", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Qualcomm
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1f53", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #SK Telesys
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04e8", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Samsung
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04dd", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Sharp
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="054c", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Sony
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0fce", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Sony Ericsson
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2340", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Teleepoch
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0930", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #Toshiba
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="19d2", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev" #ZTE

Source

Willi Mentzel
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if dmesg doesn't report any change, it's definitively a cable problem or in the worst case a problem with the microUSB port of the Android devices

mattia.b89
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To use the android phones in Ubuntu, developer mode must be enabled.

1.First you must go to setting on your android and scroll down to "About phone." Tap it.

2.Scroll down to the bottom again, where you see "Build number." (Your build number may vary from ours here.)

3.Tap it seven (7) times.

4.After that a new item in the setting appear which is ({}developer options)tap it .... Under debugging you see USB debugging check it now ubuntu 14.04 should see your device enjoy....

anand mbs
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Suhad Al Dulaimy
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I thought I had a similar issue, my android phone was showing a message after I connected with usb, that the computer can't access the data on the device, however I noticed that my file manager showed my android phone unmounted, so when I pressed on it, the phone displayed a message asking me if I want to allow accessing data, and after consent I could access the phone data.

P.S: I'm on Pop!_OS based on Ubuntu 19.10.

Baha
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