How to rsync to android

Actually using rsync over MTP/usb

It's easier than everyone is saying, first notice that when GVFS mounts the MTP mount it'll be available under. You can force this by opening the phone up in a graphical file-browser (thunar/nautilus/etc)

/run/user/$UID/gvfs

go in there. Assuming you have one mtp device, this should work:

$ cd /run/user/$UID/gvfs/mtp*

Find where you want to transfer the files too, and then rsync them to it

$ cd SanDisk\ SD\ card/Movies/

$ pwd # prints "/run/user/1000/gvfs/mtp:host=%5Busb%3A003%2C096%5D/SanDisk SD card/Movies"

$ rsync --verbose --progress --omit-dir-times --no-perms --recursive --inplace ~/Videos/ ./

Rsync options

• --inplace: I highly suggest using --inplace without which mtp may want to copy the file a new, and then rename it to the old one. That may result in copying the file to the SD card twice: once for the mtp transfer to the SD card, and another time because the MTP driver may not support (mv), it may (cp/rm) under the hood to be safe.
• read man rsync for a description of --verbose, --progress, --recursive but they're pretty self-documenting.
• --omit-dir-times --no-perms are required because mtp doesn't support that.

Using sshelper

I found this solution:

• Install sshelper on the device (no rooted device needed, available from google play market)
• In my WLAN the device is called "android". But you can use the IP, if you can't give the device a hostname.

Edit local ssh-config, to alter the default port for host "android"

.ssh/config
host android
    Port 2222

• Start sshelper on device.
• Connect android device to you WLAN.

rsync -rvlc Music android:SDCardLink/

Update I prefere -rvlc to -a since you get a lot of warnings since setting permissions and time-stamps does not work. The option -c makes the second sync much faster.

I prefere -rvl --size-only to -a since you get a lot of warnings since setting permissions and time-stamps does not work. The option --size-only makes the second sync much faster.

Unfortunately it needs some time for music apps to see the new files. Restarting the device helps.

rsync backup for Android can be configured to sync in reverse, that is from a Linux host to Android device.

And with the help from LlamaLab Automate one can configure the Android device to rsync automatically on specific conditions, e.g.:

1. at 5 am,
2. when the phone is connected to a specific Wi-Fi, and
3. when it is charging.