I installed Linux Mint Cinnamon on an older Acer TravelMate 5760G, but I currently have no Ethernet or Wi-Fi because the Broadcom BCM43227 adapter is not working and the system lacks the needed driver. I downloaded a possible driver file onto my OnePlus 7 running Android 12 and want to copy it to the laptop using only a USB cable. However, connecting the phone only makes it charge; I do not get a file-transfer prompt, and the phone does not appear in lsusb even though MTP is enabled. USB tethering is also unavailable. I previously used a 128 GB SanDisk flash drive to create the Linux installer, after which the phone stopped recognizing the drive, although the laptop still can. What options do I have to move the file or get the Wi-Fi working without an internet connection?
2 Answers
On the phone, unlock it before connecting the cable, then open the USB notification and explicitly choose “File Transfer” or “Android Auto” instead of charging. If that option never appears, try another USB-C cable; many cables are charge-only. You can also try a different USB port on the laptop. Once MTP works, the phone should show up in Mint’s file manager and you can copy the file directly.
A USB flash drive is probably the simplest workaround. The phone may not recognize the installer drive because its partition layout or filesystem was changed when it was made bootable. If possible, back up anything important and reformat the drive to a normal single FAT32 or exFAT partition, or use a different flash drive. A USB-C OTG adapter may also be required to connect it to the phone.
The laptop still recognizes the drive, but the phone stopped seeing it after I used it as the Mint installer. I may need to use another drive or restore its partition layout.
I already have MTP selected, but the phone only charges and does not appear in lsusb. I’ll try a different cable and port since the current cable may only support charging.