Arch Linux

kvtb

Member

Registered: 2014-01-11

Posts: 30

Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

aims:
- use/prefer open-source Android software, if possible available on f-droid
- self-hosted: break free from Google (e.g. I use LineageOS without google play stuff and without Google account)
- make working with/switching between phone or desktop/laptop as transparent as possible

aim of topic: create (and keep up to date) list of open source software that integrates the phone (for now I assume Android given the flexibility) and the desktop (assume Arch Linux)

All-in-one
KDE connect - maybe not the best solution if you prefer to have a slim/minimalist Arch installation (eg when using i3wm without KDE libs)
https://community.kde.org/KDEConnect

Notifications
- AN2Linux
https://github.com/rootkiwi/an2linuxclient
Displays notifications from the phone on your Linux desktop
the server-part is available in AUR
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/an2linuxserver-git

File sharing/access (phone as client)
case: a "NAS" (eg an Arch Linux installation) at home, accessible from the internet
desktop/laptop can access NAS via NFS, Samba, SFTP
The holy grail: phone should be able to access NAS in the same transparent way you can access files on an SD Card, with high security
possible solutions:
- SFTP (suggestions for open source Android client? I could not find one)
- Tahoe-LAFS, a client exists, but seems abandoned https://github.com/ctrlaltdel/TahoeLAFS-android
- more?

Sync calender/address book/tasks
server-side (arch):
- SOGo https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/sogo/
- radiCALe
client-side (android): https://f-droid.org/packages/at.bitfire.davdroid/

Use phone as remote control
todo

Find your phone
Locate your phone without giving away the location to a 3rd party

- Self-Hosted GPS tracker https://f-droid.org/packages/fr.hervere … pstracker/
unfortunately the github repo is gone, not sure if it is still maintained somewhere

- Traccar, server-side available on AUR https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/traccar/

shared clipboard
- netclip https://f-droid.org/packages/net.alegen … d.netclip/

sync passwords
use pass on your desktop
store passwords in git rep
use https://f-droid.org/packages/com.zeapo.pwdstore/ on phone, sync with git repo on server

automatically backup photos
instead of storing your photos (innocent and less innocent pics) on a 3rd party server (such as iCloud or some Google account), automatically backup photos on your own server
- Photo Backup https://photobackup.github.io/
server-side available on AUR: https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/go-photobackup/
- Syncopoli https://f-droid.org/packages/org.amoradi.syncopoli/

please post suggestions below, thanks in advance

Last edited by kvtb (2017-12-21 12:50:48)

whoops

Member

Registered: 2009-03-19

Posts: 891

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

Centralized calender/address book/tasks/files:
- Nextcloud

Centralized News / Rss:
- ttrss

Decentralized / Advanced (file) sync / backup (+photos etc) / application data & config:
- Syncthing (which can be a huge PITA when used with sd cards/root, breaking on every second update... )

Use phone as remote control:
- Also kde connect (which was the only solution I could get to work even *cough* remotely well. )

ewaller

Administrator

From: Pasadena, CA

Registered: 2009-07-13

Posts: 20,487

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

Should this not be a wiki page?

Termux on Android running a sshd server;  ssh and sftp on the Linux side for just about everything.

---

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The shortest way to ruin a country is to give power to demagogues.— Dionysius of Halicarnassus
---
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

robg

Member

Registered: 2015-03-05

Posts: 219

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

I recently stumbled upon Lineage for microG, which is supposed to provide an open-source replacement for Google's backend services built right into Lineage OS. At the risk of directing the thread slightly away from its intended purpose: Has anyone here ever used microG and how good a replacement did you find it to be?

Apart from the above, as a replacement for the play store, particularly if you don't feel like having your app downloads tracked: Yalp Store

@ewaller: I guess the thread will do for an initial collection. Once enough items are gathered, we can push it to the wiki.

Last edited by robg (2017-11-06 12:55:41)

jiffyteeth

Member

Registered: 2018-02-15

Posts: 5

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

File sharing/access (phone as client)
-Nextcloud: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.nextcloud.client/
-SFTP Client: https://f-droid.org/packages/org.primftpd/   (have not used it yet)

Sync calender/address book/tasks
-aCalDAV, Synchronise your calendar from a caldav calendar server https://f-droid.org/packages/de.we.acaldav/
-DAVdroid, Sync contacts, calendars and tasks with CalDAV/CardDAV https://f-droid.org/packages/at.bitfire.davdroid/

Use phone as remote control
-Termux: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.termux/

sync passwords
-KeePass: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.android.keepass/
   sync with nextcloud

automatically backup photos
-Nextcloud again
possible to select "only on wifi" "only when charging" select folders to sync (camera, chats, downloads)

*view and edit documents
-Libreoffice, the F-Droid client is not up to date, direct download: https://dev-builds.libreoffice.org/dail … g/current/ 
  It offers nextcloud integration, no need to download files first to open them

aim-off-topic:
-Archwiki Viewer, if something goes wrong on your only device: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.jtmcn.archwiki.viewer/
-AURdroid, browser for the AUR: https://f-droid.org/packages/com.rascarlo.aurdroid/

I am a rather new linux- arch- gnome-user and it amazes me how seamless nextcloud is integrated in the file browser, mail client and calendar

maheshhegde

Member

Registered: 2018-09-25

Posts: 8

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

Should this not be a wiki page?

Termux on Android running a sshd server;  ssh and sftp on the Linux side for just about everything.

Arch rootfs can be prooted using termux on an android phone as well

kvtb

Member

Registered: 2014-01-11

Posts: 30

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

Any recommendations on clipboard sync Android -> Linux?
must: open source, not cloud based.
(I know KDE connect can do this, but as a non-KDE user it has a lot of dependencies...)

esauvisky

Member

Registered: 2014-06-23

Posts: 11

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

Bumping this threat to add some of the missing features:

Use phone as remote control:
- Xmouse https://github.com/bradand/XMouse
Remotely control X11 via SSH commands generated by your phone or tablet.

interactive remote screen:
- scrcpy https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy
This application provides display and control of Android devices connected on USB (or over TCP/IP). It does not require any root access.

shared/synchronized clipboard
- clipper https://github.com/majido/clipper
Simple app to interact with Android system clipboard service via adb shell one liners.
Not strictly an automatic syncing tool, but should make the development of one a breeze

Andy3153

Member

Registered: 2018-12-24

Posts: 89

Re: Android phone - Linux Desktop integration

Has anyone here ever used microG and how good a replacement did you find it to be?

Quite late, but yes! It's a great replacement. Been using it for a year, at least. Though, pretty much all I need from it is the GCM thing for notifications.