HOWTO: Access Motorola phones through USB on Hoary using Moto4Lin

[gorkhal]

This howto's for installing and running moto4lin on ubuntu hoary.

Most of the information reproduced here, for convenience's sake , can be found at the moto4lin's wikipage HERE

moto4lin allows you to access your cell phone's file system under linux. Upload/Download pictures, ringtones, etc. . Its still in alpha, so be careful, but I have been running it without any problems whatsoever. Tried kmobiletools before, but could not get it to install (I'M ON GNOME ).

***Update 1***

There's lots more supported now, I would definitely recommend checking out the Supported Models section at the motor4lin wiki.

Here is the list of 'officially' supported models (moto phones not listed here may also work, try it out):
C350, C350l, C380, C650, V180, V220, V300, V500, V547, V600, E398, E1000

*Update*
List of other models that have been confirmed to work:
V400

If your moto phone works with this app, but its not in the official list, add it to the moto4lin wiki, Supported Models and fill in the USB ID as well. That way everyone gets it.

Moto4lin supports AT and P2K modes on these phones. I have not tested the AT mode as of yet, but it's basically for Modem functionality and GPRS (me thinks), but its the P2K mode that I was interested in, since it lets you access your cell phone's file system.

#Requirements
Install the following...

~$sudo apt-get install cvs
~$sudo apt-get install libqt3-mt-dev
~$sudo apt-get install zlib1g-dev
~$sudo apt-get install libusb-dev

#Installing moto4lin
We are going to get the moto4lin source from a cvs repository. You might get an error from cvs at this stage, ignore and proceed. Asked for password? Just press Enter.

~$cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/moto4lin login
~$cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@cvs.sourceforge.net:/cvsroot/moto4lin co -P moto4lin

This should download the source into a directory named moto4lin. Now compile the source.

~$cd moto4lin
~/moto4lin$qmake
~/moto4lin$make
~/moto4lin$sudo make install

Should you receive any compilation errors, you most likely do not have the required libraries, try looking through the error messages to figure out what you are missing. If everything goes ok, you have installed moto4lin successfully.

#Configure moto4lin
Connect YOUR phone to YOUR computer using YOUR usb cable. Thats right YOURs not mine, I am not sharing mine.

Now run moto4lin...

 ~$sudo moto4lin

You need to run it under root, to access the P2K mode on your phone, at least until its fixed, or someone figures out how to run it as normal user.

In the bottom status bar of the moto4lin window it should say, at least the first time: '[info] Phone pluged as AT'

GoTo: Settings -> Preferences...
Set 'ACM Device' = '/dev/ttyACM0'
Then we need to figure out the following,
'AT Vendor ID',
'AT Product ID',
'P2K Vendor ID',
'P2K Product ID'.

Click 'Update List' -> retrieves a list of the 'AT Vendor ID' and 'AT Product ID' of all your USB devices. Find your cell phone's AT IDs from the list.
(Once you have found it write it down, because an ODD thing is when moto4lin is run under root, it does not save any changes to settings)
Select 'Switch to P2K' -> if it is successful, it should say '[info] Phone pluged as P2K' in the status bar of the main window.
Clicking 'Update List' again will now retrieve the 'P2K Vendor ID' and 'P2K Product ID' of all your USB devices. Write your cell phone's P2K IDs down.

Alternatively you can search HERE for the AT and P2K IDs of your cellphone.

Now quit moto4lin, and run as normal user

~$moto4lin

Goto Settings -> Preferences and fill in the AT IDs and the P2K IDs.

Quit moto4lin, and the settings will be saved.
So run under root for execution and run as normal user for configuration.

#Running moto4lin
Now run moto4lin as root...

 ~$sudo moto4lin

Check the current mode:
If its already in P2K mode, click 'Connect' to load up your Motorola file system

If its in AT mode, Goto Settings -> Preferences...Select 'Switch to P2K' then try connecting.

I have attached a screenshot of how it looks like at this stage. If anyone figures how to run moto4lin without root privileges and still be able to access in P2K, do share.

Lots of kudos to the moto4lin guys for coming up with this wonderful application.

Happy experimenting

[foxy123]

Hi Gorkhal! Thanks a lot for the excellent HOWTO. I tried moto4lin before but failed. Now it works for me!

A couple of points you may want to make clearer in the HOWTO:

#Configure moto4lin
Now run moto4lin...

 ~$sudo moto4lin

You need to run it under root, to access the P2K mode on your phone, at least until its fixed, or someone figures out how to run it as normal user.

In the bottom status bar of the moto4lin window it should say, at least the first time: '[info] Phone pluged as AT'

GoTo: Settings -> Preferences...
We need to figure out the following,
'AT Vendor ID',
'AT Product ID',
'P2K Vendor ID',
'P2K Product ID'.

Click 'Update List' -> retrieves a list of the 'AT Vendor ID' and 'AT Product ID' of all your USB devices. Find your cell phone's AT IDs from the list.
(Once you have found it write it down, because an ODD thing is when moto4lin is run under root, it does not save any changes to settings)

you should also change 'ACM Device' to '/dev/ttyACM0', as it is said below.

#Running moto4lin
Now run moto4lin as root...

 ~$sudo moto4lin

Goto Settings -> Preferences...Select 'Switch to P2K', only if it is not already in P2K mode. Goto Main Window and click 'Connect/Disconnect'.

To see my files I had to click on Update List button.

Thanks again for your HOWTO!

[az]

You should request that this be packages for Ubuntu. You can ask on the developmental mailing list,

[void_false]

WOW that just rox!
Now I need to buy miniusb datacable for my c350. Hell, official CD costs something like 30$

[foxy123]

Has anyone heard anything about C975? It is not listed in the supported models...

[gorkhal]

Good to see it worked for someone too. Thanks for the suggestions foxy123.

Has anyone heard anything about C975? It is not listed in the supported models...

You could still try it out....it may work. Since the P2K mode used is supposed to be prevalent in a lot of the motorola phones.

[tlaloczint]

this is so cool I just add couple of songs that as ring ones and this rocks thanks (the songs I have to cut in order to make it fit I have a v180)

[gorkhal]

(the songs I have to cut in order to make it fit I have a v180)

I have a v180 too, trouble is, has only 1.9 MB of space, not only you have to cut, but also encode the mp3s at like 64 kbps.

I am not sure if anything less than or greater than 64 kbps works.

[manrobj]

Also works for a V400.
Thanks!!

[gorkhal]

Also works for a V400.
Thanks!!

Neat....I will start up a list of 'Unofficially' Supported models in the howto.

You could also add in your motorola phone number to the moto4lin wiki,
HERE and fill in the USB ID as well.