[PLUG] Android Filesystems

[Russell Senior]

I transfer files between my computer and phone with a cable, the phone
in "developer mode" and adb push/pull/shell (in appropriate
combinations).

On Sun, Jul 11, 2021 at 9:09 PM John Jason Jordan <johnxj at gmx.com> wrote:
>
> I'm tearing my hair out.
>
> I have a 1TB USB 3.0 drive with two plugs, Type A on one end and Type C
> on the other. I bought it to simplify moving files to and from my
> laptop and my phone, which is Type C.
>
> I have been told that Android uses EXFAT and Linux can read/write EXFAT
> as well, since kernel 5.4, which I have. I formatted the drive on the
> laptop as EXFAT and copied some files to it. Then I removed the drive
> from the computer and plugged it into the phone, which announced that
> there was an 'unsupported USB drive' and it had to be formatted to be
> used. I formatted it on the phone, ignoring the warnings that all data
> would be erased. When the formatting was finished I removed the drive
> from the phone and put it back into the laptop, expecting that I would
> have to copy the files to it again, but when I looked at it all the
> files were still there.
>
> So then I put the drive back in the phone, but no files. All that I
> find are a root folder 'Android,' with sub-folders:
>
>         Android
>                 data
>                         com.android.vending
>                                 files
>                         com.google.android.apps.translate
>                                 files
>                                         olvp3
>                                                 v5
>                                                         02, 25, + more,
>                                                         all empty
>                                         com.microsoft.skydrive
>                                                 cache
>                                         com.samsung.android.aremojiedito
>                                         com.samsung.android.messaging
>                                                 cache
>                                                 files
>                                         com.sec.android.gallery.3d
>                                                 files
>                                         con.sec.imsservice
>                                                 files
>                                         org.kman.AquaMail (I installedthis)
>                                                 cache
>                                                 files
>
> All of the above folders are empty. My files appear when the drive is
> inserted into my laptop (Xubuntu 20.04.1), but Android can't see them.
>
> I thought that EXFAT might be great idea for USB drives, since
> everything can read it. No permissions, but that may be a good idea for
> USB drives. However, considering all the pain I have suffered trying to
> get it to work, I'd rather use ext4. I mean, at least it effin' *works*.
>
> I inserted an ext4 USB drive into the phone, and nada. The phone
> doesn't even see it. I have poked all over the net and many places say
> that Android is supposed to be able to read/write to ext4, but not in
> my experience.
>
> Maybe I need some utility on my phone to get it to read/write to ext4.
> Does anyone have any clues?