Randall Munroe shows us how it's done:
Every time you email a file to yourself so you can pull it up on your friend's laptop, Tim Berners-Lee sheds a single tear.
Only because IPv6 and self-hosting are not mainstream yet. But if it were commonplace for everyone's home to have something as simple as a public file server or SSH server, then this problem would be trivialized.
Opera tried to make self-hosting mainstream back in 2009 with Opera Unite, but regular people just weren't interested. It was a web server built in to the browser, which had a few apps like a whiteboard, a way to write notes, file transfers, etc.
Also, IPv6 is already mainstream in some countries. In the USA, several of the mobile networks are IPv6-only, using 464XLAT to allow connections to legacy IPv4-only servers. Comcast/Xfinity was also the first ISP to roll out IPv6 at a wide scale, and the majority of their customers had IPv6 connectivity way back in 2014 or so.
Globally, around 50% of traffic to Google and 60% of traffic to Facebook are using IPv6.
For sure, let me just make an account, install the app, find and add them- wait, he drove over with a USB? Jokes aside, thanks for the recommendation, but it's not any simpler than the 2011 solutions if you haven't set it up already.
I haven't been able to get Syncthing permissions to work. The frustrating thing for me with Android has always been inconsistencies between vendors and weird permissions issues.
It is alright, but SFTP transfer broke for me some time ago. I think it is related to changes in Android, but surprisingly there were not a lot of posts about this issue last I searched. Using Android 13 / Samsung One UI 5.1 with Windows 11.
I use Material Files (from f-droid) as my default file manager, which includes support for mounting FTP, SFTP, SMB, and webdav shares. It doesn't handle the connection getting interrupted very well, so if that happens i have to restart the app. Other than that it's been working great for my SMB share.
It's pretty good. Definitely better then self-hosted stuff like nextcloud, because you don't need to maintain your own server. But sometimes it takes a while for two hosts to discover each other on the same local area network.
I think they're both good for different use-cases. I use nextcloud myself on a truenas system. I sync things like my pictures to nextcloud, and delete them from my phone after I've sorted them into the correct folders.
This way my data isn't clogging up my phone and other things, is still available from anywhere (as long as my home internet doesn't go down), and it's still safely stored on redundant storage.
This does take a bit more setting up than something like syncthing, though it wasn't very difficult at all. Basically install the docker image, tell it where my data goes, and set up a new dns record if you want it publicly accessible. I personally run it through a zerotier network so I don't have to do that.
I like Nextcloud on my TrueNAS scale setup, but for photos I've started using Immich. It works extremely well, and does automatic backups of specific folders from your phone. The interface looks nice too.
I'm actually using Photoprism on the same truenas system to view my photos, I just already had nextcloud for the rest of my files, so I'm using that to upload. They point to the same datasets, so they share the image data. I believe photoprism is pretty similar to immich, but i haven't used immich myself.
The only thing is that both devices need to be in the same WiFi net. But it also works on the road when the laptop uses the phones Hotspot.
For what LocalSend is designed, imo, it is more convenient to use than scp
— by quite a large margin.
The amount of times sending myself an email is still the quickest thing is insane. Sure I could try to use notion or keep to send myself some random string of text but am I logged in on my desktop? Idk. Just use email.
Also there are so many things like air drop, nfc, etc, but so many of them are so specific to certain devices. Maybe one day we'll figure this out lol
For phone-to-computer it works fine. But double-sided boi will still win if you need to send files to a dumber device like a printer -- those don't typically support MTP or whatever iphones use. Unless you have an ancient android phone that gives full block-level access to the internal storage/microsd card through usb cable lol. I really miss that feature.
Some banks and other places like that still require physical documents for stuff like proof of address, affidavits etc.
Even though they're going to fucking scan it into pdf anyway
I use my printer to print silly stickers, because I am a manchild, but I don't think I am using the correct ink or paper, because they fade very quickly and smudge sometimes.
Also use it to print graph paper to doodle on.
What type of printer/paper do you use? I find cheap photo paper works well for high res on my inkjet, although it can fade if you leave it in the sun. I've been using vinyl sticker sheets for customising my bike and it seems to be holding well, but I did laminate them with sticky back plastic first.
There's also the sellotape trick, but that only works for laser printers and you obviously can't print white.
The printer is the cheapest canon inkjet printer I could find new in 2021. I don't have access to the exact model name rn
I think I have glossy photo paper. I also had a few sheets of postcard size sticker paper that was not glossy and didn't fade, but I recall it being stupid expensive, or that specific brand at least. I cannot remember the name. Would not survive the elements though.
I thought about laminating it but I wasn't sure if the heat would fuck the adhesive
When I say laminate, I just mean the rolls of sticky back plastic. I don't know if it's called something else in your part of the world.
It's the stuff we used to use to protect our exercise books at school. You can buy special laminating vinyl but this stuff is cheaper.
Acid free sticky tape (scotch tape in the US?) will also work for smaller stickers, just make sure the sort you use doesn't yellow. In my experience, glossy photo paper scratches easily and has to have a layer over it to seal it, plastic is the easiest option (also remembering when I made over 200 trading cards on photo paper and had to design, cut and laminate them all by hand lol).
I did test the brand of vinyl paper I used with water and it did hold up. I've only had it on my bike for a few months, but so far it doesn't seem to have yellowed or faded. I probably should have cut out the sticky back plastic to be bigger than the sticker though.
I can't post my memes on the much room bulletin board for everyone to see unless I print them :/
I transfer data by printing it and then scanning it when I get to the location.
I just like the artefacts it leaves behind.
If it is anything other than text or a photo, I compile the file into a QR code and print that.
A Windows 10 installation iso is about 1499639 QR codes
Couldn't you, theoretically, create one massive QR code containing all that data? You'd need a massive camera sensor to get the resolution required to actually decode it though.
https://youtu.be/ExwqNreocpg?si=2eHJdNFMSYmUImV0
This guy wrote a game that can fit in a QR code
When I cook I like to print out the recipe. It's annoying to have to touch ur phone when cooking because you might be handling raw meat so it's annoying to have to wash ur re-hands whenever you need to check the recipe. Plus using a phone when hands are wet is also annoying.
Wait, what feature? You can't access the phone's storage? I'm pretty sure I can access my phone's storage.
Old android phones used to emulate a USB mass storage device when you would connect them. To the computer, the phone would appear as a usb stick. Modern android phones, on the other hand, use a protocol called MTP (Mobile Transfer Protocol), which is completely its own thing.
The reason they switched to MTP is that the old approach gave the computer complete control over the phone's storage; the phone would become completely unusable while connected in this way, and would just display a "connected via usb" splash screen. With MTP, the phone continues to be usable while connected via USB. But it has the downside that MTP is a much less widespread protocol than USB mass storage. On personal computers it should "just work", but on stuff like printers it might not.
Personally, I think they should bring back USB mass storage emulation as an optional feature. Heck, it can still be done, but you need to compile your own android ROM with usb mass storage drivers, which I'm not nearly skilled enough to do.
Old USB implementation used to be a finicky nightmare, though. You make it sound like it wasn't changed for a reason, MTP connectivity on Android as it is now is so much more functional, as well as safer.
In any case, that solves the misunderstanding. I thought you meant you couldn't directly access phone storage anymore, which isn't the case.
The printer scenario seems like an edge case to me. I mean, MTP has been the default for what? Over a decade? If you have a recent printer you're probably fine (also, it probably has wifi and a dedicated mobile app or at least enough third party support to be used from your phone regardless). If your printer is older than that you're probably better served by going through your PC first anyway. Sure, you don't get direct USB access to printing photos, but now we're talking about a very specific feature that was in use for a very specific sliver of time, and it requires you to be tethered to a device anyway. I don't think that's enough to justify legacy storage support on phones.
Sure, you don’t get direct USB access to printing photos, but now we’re talking about a very specific feature that was in use for a very specific sliver of time, and it requires you to be tethered to a device anyway. I don’t think that’s enough to justify legacy storage support on phones.
Yeah, fair enough.
If you have a recent printer you're probably fine (also, it probably has wifi and a dedicated mobile app or at least enough third party support to be used from your phone regardless).
Not to forget the gazillion security holes. But most of the features stop working after a few years anyway.
Yeah, double sided boi looks like a great way to ruin your phone charging port if you don't have a usb slot pointing straight up
Can you not just plug your phone into your computer, and then use your computer's file manager to drag it from your phone to your computer? It's this not a thing anymore?
Why the extra step of writing it to thumb drive?
These are the people who take screenshots with their phone cameras.
OP is just revealing that they don't understand device-to-device file transfers.
remember when it was somehow trendy to take a picture with snapchat and the screenshot it to it shows the tools on right and post that on instagram? that shit was stupid as hell
I still do that all the time. I work with a bunch of different computers and it's easier than sending a file or writing the info down.
I get that there's device to device file transfers, but it's slower, and other employees would undoubtedly fill my phone with garbage screenshots, if not virus furry porn.
Nope, it's a USB drive.
Quite a few of the usual memory device manufacturers make drives that have a Type A USB plug on one end, and either Micro USB or Type C on the other. They're specifically meant for one end to easily plug into your PC, and the other end to go into your phone. Not, obviously, both at the same time.
Example: https://www.pny.com/duo-link-usb-3-2-type-c-dual-flash-drive
I have one sitting in my desk that's so old it still has a Micro USB connector on it and is therefore not terribly useful in this day and age.
Male to male?
People are going to plug their phone directly into their computer without a cable?
Edit
The title says it's a USB drive, not an adapter
They are, but I don't recommend it unless you want at least one of the ports to snap internally as it hangs out the front of the PC.
The adapter shown is functionally identical to a usb 2 to usb c cable. I believe the meme is essentially suggesting the same thing you did with using a file explorer.
Kinda... But who the fuck has a male/female USB or usb-c cable sitting around???
One of the ends of this adapter should be female, or this should just be an A/C cord. The fact that it's not made me think that this is actually a thumbdrive, not that I can confirm if it actually is or what OP actually meant.
I agree that a cable would be wildly more useful than what's pictured, for what it's worth.
That said (tangentially related), I have a few male/female usb cables and they're a godsend. Extremely handy for game controllers and/or extenders for bluetooth or wireless device dongles.
Why would you need a male/female USB?
This device is basically just a really short charging/data cable. I don't understand what's so confusing about it. It's functionally identical to using the standard charging cable, just with the devices closer together.
Because in practice you're gonna need a cable anyways, since it's a vanishingly small chance that your phone's port lines up perfectly with your computer's port when you set it down.
Maybe you can find a book that's just the right height to put your phone on (RIP if you have a desktop), but just having a cable is still a better option.
This is either a male/male adapter, or a thumb drive... In either case, a-to-c USB cable would be a better solution, and a less confusing image.
Can you not just plug your phone into your computer, and then use your computer’s file manager to drag it from your phone to your computer?
That's right, you cannot. Well, sometimes you can. MTP is quite an unreliable technology, at least for Linux users. Sometimes you'll plug in a device and it'll work fine, other times it won't even show up.
P.S. and yes I have enabled MTP on the android device
Idk
I just plugged my pixel into my Ubuntu laptop, and tapped on the USB charging notification on my phone, selected "more options" and changed the selection from "no data transfer" to "move files".
Then my Ubuntu file viewer could see all my files. Or at least a lot of them.
Except that if you connect your phone to a computer using USB, it will transfer files using MTP and it's pain in the ass, as it's slow and unreliable. Sending files over Bluetooth is better (but not much) over using USB connection.
No phone allow which? Writing to a thumb drive (I believe that) or connecting to a computer directly?
Just tried connecting my pixel 7 to my Ubuntu laptop and it worked. Im pretty sure I've done it with windows too, on previous pixel phones.
Most phones are only USB 2.0. I don't know why you would want to mess with that if you don't have to.
IR data connection.
Print out on paper & scan it into the computer.
Copy the data into the computer in binary with an electron gun directly to SSD.
Recreate the data from scratch.
Install desktop os onto your phone & use it as your main rig to eliminate the need to transfer data in the first place.
Use an USB cable to connect the phone to a floppy drive & copy the data to floppy discs. And enjoy the asmr sounds as you do so.
Bluetooth if all else fails, but using a2dp dial-up frequencies.
Accept that there is no convenient way to transfer data & just live without it.
Oh, that's a good one, high tech, no need for extra data conversion on the PC, works for transferring videos as well :D
... oh, TIL.
Outside of regular simple-command remotes I only ever used IR data transfer between my PC and Nokia 3650 (bcs the proprietary connector had shitty contacts).
And it was slower than any of other methods previously listed.
(I don't actually remember, but less than 100kbps I think, about half the theoretical max iirc, some of which was the phone and the memory cards fault too)
Nokia N91 actually had a hard drive (like literally a spinning hard disc drive).
So the method is valid, albeit a bit easy.
https://github.com/localsend/localsend
I used localsend on desktop, laptop and my phones to sync stuffs between OSes and phones. What I likes is that it support multiplatform out of the box and works flawlessly between Windows, Android and Linux distros (tried both on Ubuntu, and LM without problem). It's just SHAREit without any stupid weird stuffs on it.
Syncthing ftw. As soon as I plug my phone into a charger, it starts syncing everything to my NAS. Even if it's not charging, I can override the rule and force it to sync.
I don't even need a double-sided boi because my dumb ass got lucky enough to pick a cheapo laptop with a USB-C port. The little sandisk drive is probably one my best investments into the phone besides the case.
Pretty much all laptops have USB C these days.
I also got a USB C flash drive and it's indeed incredibly convenient.
Yeah, most motherboards from the last 5-6 years (or maybe even longer) likely have USB-C.
Newer motherboards usually have an internal port so that you can get a USB-C front panel connector. I recently replaced my case for primarily that reason.
Nextcloud "Carnet" is the solution I had been waiting for for years. Instant uploads to my instance, I can access the files from any computer. Boom.
I'd add SMB as well, I use KDE connect for 1-2 files, nextcloud for photo backup and SMB for bigger transfers.
Can't you just plug your phone straight in and transfer the file? I still prefer KDE connect though.
KDE connect only works painlessly on phones that allow you to use your files... As weird as it is, that's not most of them.
But you can still move them around somehow and force it to work. Also, the same works for syncthing. USB drivers haven't been the easiest option for a while.
me too. the double sided thing looks awkward.
there's also localsend if you prefer over wifi for any reason
Someone pointed out it's actually a usb stick with two different ends, which sounds pretty neat. I also thought it was like a cable without the actual cable part so your phone would just be dangling there awkwardly
oh that makes more sense, yeah it looks like an adapter which feels terrible to use. but also if you need a quick transfer, doing it over a cable or wifi is still better since you only copy once that way.
The USB Type-C is useful for sharing files offline between smartphones while the USB Type-A is useful when you want to backup files to a PC at some point.
One thing that really got me while working on computers and networking right as LAN networks became a thing in the late 90s and early 2K years was.... I'm connected to this switch, and so are they. Why do I need to burn a CD/use an external hard drive (later a flash drive), to move data?
Took me a while to figure out SMB/cifs, and when I did .... Game changer. Since then I've also learned all I can about storage, networking and file sharing. Most of my USB drives sit on my desk and don't get touched. I couldn't tell you what's on most of them. I've picked up a few thinking that I'll use it, but the most useful thing I've done with flash drives is to move data between computers when upgrading other people's computers. For me, I just make sure everything is backed up/synced to my local NAS, wipe the system and reinstall without a care in the world.
Its a CM3588 NAS board from friendly elec running openmedia vault Debian 11 with home-manager for nixpkgs. I run nextcloud for backing up my phone storage every night. And have SMB share setup for all my laser cuting files! Originally all my files for my business where running off a 4tb USB HDD which was starting to fail. And yes there was no backups. So after I made a little money selling my laser cut goods. Bought the CM3588 nas board with 2 one terabyte sata m.2 ssd's which are in raid 1 for redudancy. Also have a off site backup on the computer that runs the laser. And another tid bit all the computers I use are exclusively linux. The computer that runs the laser is zoron OS. My main rig runs nixos, my LAN gaming machine runs gentoo aswell as the laptop where I do most of the fianaces and designing. The laptop is a t440p which is librebooted and runs gentoo :D.
Hope that's enough detail!! Lmao
I use KDE connect...
But my grandfather does the ol reliable method for image upload, which is:
I typo'd Facebook originally but thay was too good to get rid of so I just strikethrough'd it
its amazing how its generally easier to transfer something to a server a country over for it to then reach the other device. instead of it going directly over local network speeds.
also how its much easier to backup to google than to you own computer thats right there.
It's really not if you have the right setup at home, instead of using somebody else's servers. Like nobody has a NAS or their own servers?
It's much nicer not worrying about who can get to my files in the cloud, when they're not in the cloud.
I do, but I VPN in, so it would be a pain to talk someone through that and send them their key.
Like nobody has a NAS or their own servers?
unironically no.
thats what i do atm but its hardly easy for normies, when it 100% could.
or just plug the phone into the computer?
and use either adb pull or mtp (adb is more reliable from my experience)