Good news for Linux users: MTPFS - clixhere!

**gmureddu** · #1 (**permalink**) 05-30-2007, 01:09 AM

There is a new virtual filesystem for Linux systems, MTPFS, which makes it possible to 'mount' MTP devices (as supported by libmtp) just like any other filesystem, or to be more precise, just like the Shell Extension works for MTP devices on Windows (i.e making the device accessible from either the Explorer shell or the Command line in Windows). MTPFS is a fuse module and as such has some requirements that have to be met before you can build it, you require the development packages for:

fuse (duh!)
glib
gthread
mad (libmad)
id3tag (libid3tag)
libmtp (duh!)

Once all the dependencies are covered, all that is left is to build the module in the usual fasion:

Code:

./configure # optionally you may define a --prefix=dir, i.e like --prefix=/usr
make
su -c make install

Here's a run of the different options and syntax (these are general fuse options):

Code:

usage: mtpfs mountpoint [options]

general options:
    -o opt,[opt...]        mount options
    -h   --help            print help
    -V   --version         print version

FUSE options:
    -d   -o debug          enable debug output (implies -f)
    -f                     foreground operation
    -s                     disable multi-threaded operation

    -o allow_other         allow access to other users
    -o allow_root          allow access to root
    -o nonempty            allow mounts over non-empty file/dir
    -o default_permissions enable permission checking by kernel
    -o fsname=NAME         set filesystem name
    -o large_read          issue large read requests (2.4 only)
    -o max_read=N          set maximum size of read requests

    -o hard_remove         immediate removal (don't hide files)
    -o use_ino             let filesystem set inode numbers
    -o readdir_ino         try to fill in d_ino in readdir
    -o direct_io           use direct I/O
    -o kernel_cache        cache files in kernel
    -o [no]auto_cache      enable caching based on modification times
    -o umask=M             set file permissions (octal)
    -o uid=N               set file owner
    -o gid=N               set file group
    -o entry_timeout=T     cache timeout for names (1.0s)
    -o negative_timeout=T  cache timeout for deleted names (0.0s)
    -o attr_timeout=T      cache timeout for attributes (1.0s)
    -o ac_attr_timeout=T   auto cache timeout for attributes (attr_timeout)
    -o intr                allow requests to be interrupted
    -o intr_signal=NUM     signal to send on interrupt (10)

    -o max_write=N         set maximum size of write requests
    -o max_readahead=N     set maximum readahead
    -o async_read          perform reads asynchronously (default)
    -o sync_read           perform reads synchronously

Remember for proper fuse operation a kernel 2.6.20 or later is recommended, as the fuse interface in older kernels is faulty and very buggy. You should be able to install the fuse libraries from your distribution's repository/media disks, or you may build it from source.

Enjoy!

**gmureddu** · #2 (**permalink**) 05-30-2007, 09:14 AM

After a bit of struggle I was able to mount the Clix and see its contents with Nautilus (GNOME's filemanager), and with Konqueror as well.

To be able to see the contents of the Clix (and arguably also write to it) I was missing the option allow_other for fuse, so the mount command in this case was (as root):

Code:

mtpfs /media/clix -o allow_other

If you have sudo active (Ubuntu), you may prepend 'sudo' (without the quotes) to the command above.

Here are a couple screenshots:

Nautilus:

Konqueror:

Now the challenge is to get an autofs configuration so when the clix is connected to the PC, it will be automounted onto a location based on device identifier (i.e /media/clix for a 1st gen Clix, /media/clix2 for a 2nd gen Clix, /media/zen for a Creative Zen, etc)... Still looking around. The above screenshots and configurations were made on a Fedora Core 6 box.