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Im28xwa @lemdro.id

How can I easily and conveniently transfer files wirelessly between my linux computer and android phone?

I'm running OpenSUSE leap 15.5, When I was on the linux mint, I was using warpinator but using it on openSUSE is troublesome and I wish there was a linux version of blip but unfortunately there is not.

143 comments

  • Syncthing for automated syncing (highly reccomend)

    https://github.com/schollz/croc for quick and lazy file sends (auto nat & proxy included)

    sftp get from phone if it's like one thing (various ssh/sftp apps on gplay and fdroid)

    • Solid explorer on my phone. Nautilus or any file manager on PC.

      sftp each one from the other. Add the connection as a favourite. File transfer becomes a drag and drop thing. Bonus points if you create a static IP for each device.

  • KDE Connect has been mentioned before. You can supplement this and other tools by using a VPN so that both endpoints can see each other even if the underlying network does not allow this. My preferred solutions are Tailscale (managed, cloud-based) or Headscale (for self-hosting).

  • I use a mix of GSConnect/KDEConnect, Warpinator, and Syncthing. I've got a shared "dropoff" folder on Syncthing that lets me easily drop files from one device to another. You're having issues with Warpinator but if you're able to figure out the issue there, that's my second go-to for one-time file transfers. KDEConnect is a bit more fiddly, but I use it mostly for sharing clipboard info and the occasional file when it's stable enough.

  • SSH along with the extra stuff it comes with like scp is the way forward.

    The two following suggestions make use of secure shell.

    Termux and then pkg install mc (MC is Midnight Commander)

    Alternatively, if you are feeling brave and GUI, Total Commander here.

  • I find the easiest approach is to connect to the pc via sftp and use a file explorer that supports it - such as ghost commander.

  • If by wirelessly you mean via Wi-Fi network then one convenient option is qrcp. It generates a QR-code right in your terminal, which you can scan with a phone and send/receive files through a web interface on the URL it provides.

    If you want to transfer files regularly, there is another option. Almost every distro has Python installed, and the Python has a "built-in" FTP server. You need to just cd into desired directory and run the command python -m pyftpdlib -w. It will open a FTP server with root in this directory. You then can access it through a file manager, like Material Files for example, and send files and folders back and forth. In Material Files you can save the server address for future use.

  • uhm, well you can't primarily because android is a hot mess (quick note: this is mostly me ranting about the hell that android is for no fucking reason)

    First of all, android only supports MDNS since android 12 and newer, MANY years after the standard was even finalized and put into use. (like a concerning amount) And yes, you can technically use that networking on a per app level (since android 6 or 8 i think), if it's implemented, but most apps don't because they're android apps. And the ones that do are basically useless (very cool thanks android)

    Ignoring this, let's say that you have a samba server, and have a local DNS config setup to get around the MDNS bullshit. Oops, funny story, android doesn't natively support SMB shares, because apparently they aren't real and don't fucking exist. Now to be clear, most file managers do actually support SMB, the problem here is that those are often shit, and only supported in the actual file manager itself. If you wanted to per se, mount a samba share on android on the FS level, it is either impossible, or REQUIRES ROOT ACCESS.

    Man it's a good thing rooting is easy, and not super convoluted, or risks bricking your phone in the event that it's designed like utter shit and cannot recover from being flashed incorrectly. (to be clear, i don't know shit about rooting, because it's a fucking disaster, and i might be misrepresenting it here, but only rooting, everything else is accurate)

    so basically, cool story, the only option here that you have is using apps that are specifically designed to implement their own file transfer functionalities and protocols. There is one redeeming factor to this, and it's the fact that rsync exists, and that it isn't shit, but rsync isn't samba, so eat shit android. Rest in piss you disaster of an OS.

  • The funniest solution I've found was a service that offered secure transfer of passwords between devices through their "encrypted transmission" with a password field on their website

    FYI, don't give any password to a service you aren't using with that service

    • For ad hoc transfers, easiest way is to pack it with 7zip (or any other compression software with proper encryption) and setting a proper password for the file

143 comments