How to Rsync files from Android to Linux
Rsync is a powerful tool that Linux users often use to synchronize files and folders from one directory to another or, from one computer to another. Did you know you can use this powerful tool to sync files from your Android device to your Linux device? Here’s how to Rsync files from Android to Linux.
How to install and configure Rsync for Android
To Rsync files from Android to your Linux PC, you’ll need to install the Rsync app on Android. Open up the Play Store, and install the following app. Once it is installed, open the “App info” for Rsync, and locate “Permissions.” Ensure that “Files and media” are enabled. Without this permission, you cannot use Rsync.
After installing the Rsync app on your Android device, and configuring the permissions, launch it. Then, return to your Linux PC to set up Rsync there as well. You will need Rsync on both platforms to use it correctly.
How to install Rsync on Linux
Rsync comes pre-installed on many Linux operating systems. However, you may need to install it if it is not set up already on your computer. To install it, open up a terminal window using Ctrl + Alt + T on the keyboard. Or, search for “Terminal” in the app menu and launch it that way.
With the terminal window open, the installation can begin. Using the installation instructions below, follow the installation instructions for Rsync to get it working on your Linux PC.
Ubuntu installation instructions
To install the Rsync app on Ubuntu, you’ll need to use the following apt install command in a terminal window.
sudo apt install rsync
Debian installation instructions
If you’re using Debian Linux, you can get the latest version of Rsync available on Debian by using the following apt-get install command.
sudo apt-get install rsync
Arch Linux installation instructions
On Arch Linux, it is possible to set up Rsync using the following pacman -S command.
sudo pacman -S rsync
Fedora installation instructions
If you’re on Fedora, you will be able to set up the latest available Rsync package via the following dnf install command.
sudo dnf install rsync
OpenSUSE installation instructions
To use Rsync on OpenSUSE systems, you’ll need to run the following zypper install command in a terminal.
sudo zypper install rsync
How to Rsync from Android to Linux
To Rsync from an Android device to a Linux device, do the following. First, open up the Rsync app on Android. Once open, click on the “+” button. When you select the “+” button, you will see a new job page.
On the new job page, select “Server Nickname,” and give your server a nickname. Then, enter the local LAN ip address or host name. Enter your SSH username and password.
Once you’ve filled out everything, find the “Server Fingerprint” section, and tap it to generate your fingerprint. Then, make your way to the “Local Absolute Source Path” section.
The “Local Absolute Source Path” is the absolute directory on your Android device you wish to send to Linux via Rsync. Install a file manager, and browse for the location of the folder.
For example, to send your phone’s entire internal memory over Rsync, you’d enter the following absolute directory. The directory location must be exact, or Rsync will fail.
/storage/emulated/0/
After setting the absolute local directory, you must set the absolute remote directory. On the remote Linux computer (or server), enter the directory in which you wish to send files over Rsync, and enter it in the Android app.
/path/to/remote/directory/
When you’ve finished customizing your job, find the “Save” button in the Rsync app and select it to save the job. You can then run it by clicking on the play button in the Rsync app.
How to Rsync from Linux to Android
If you wish to send files from your Linux computer or server to your Android device over Rsync, you can. To do it, open up the Rsync app, and click on the “+” button to create a new job.
In the new job window, fill out your server’s nickname, and tap on “Server Fingerprint” to create a new fingerprint. Then, enter your IP address (or hostname), SSH username, and password.
With your user credentials and IP address configured, find “Direction,” and change it from “Local to Remote” to “Remote to Local.” Then, fill out both the remote and local absolute paths.
When both paths are filled out, click on the “Save” button. After selecting this button, you’ll be brought back to the Rsync page. From here, click on the “Play” button to start up the Rsync syncing process.
