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.