Solved Recent update and time shift issues.

[garyn]

I update my system weekly make TS backups AND a few clone drives.

Well today I plugged in my Android phone and the popup to allow USB access did not come up. My second machine running a clone of my main drive also failed to allow file transfers. So I plugged in a clone made 4/1/26 and the file transfer authorization popped up. Then I plugged in two clones dated 4-9-26 none would access my phone. So I brought a clone of my 4-1-26 drive to the second machine and it also popped up the USB access message.

So I went back to the failed drive and restored three time shift backups dated 4-1-26, 3-30-26, and 3-26-26 none would allow USB access to my phone. So it is not the systems, the USB cables, or the phone because the 4-1-26 drive works perfectly in both systems.

I attached an update manager screenshot to show what has been updated from the good drive to the failed ones and my system report as well as my system report.

Anyone have an idea what update may have been the cause?

 

[garyn]

I "think" I have it narrowed down. I installed all recent updates but those I "thought" might cause the phone problem and my phone still connects.

 

[Condobloke]

LM 22.3 Cinnamon.

System info and History of Updates below

 

[Condobloke]

The only difference in our routines that stands out to me is: I update everyday. Not before Timeshift has done its routine Boot snapshot immediately after I turn my pc on.

Following that boot snapshot being taken, if I see the little red dot in the sys tray, I click it open tap install updates, password, ok and away it goes...usually reduced out of sight.

But....that difference will not be making any waves on your install.

The only thing is....I dont use a Android phone. (the only phone I do use is an Apple iphone....and usually not in connection with my pc's routines. I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I have plugged it into the pc in the last 12 months.

Well today I plugged in my Android phone and the popup to allow USB access did not come up.

My second machine running a clone of my main drive also failed to allow file transfers.

So....do I assume correctly that you use the phone in some way to transfer files to your pc(s) ..?

 

[garyn]

Condobloke, yes once in a while I copy files (a spreadsheet of serialized stuff and images of them) to my phone and pics I take with the phone to my PC.

I've been doing this for years and only after the last upgrade did it break.

 

[Condobloke]

Gary, I am looking at your phone with suspicion. Did the phone have an update which screwed up the works?
obviously something has changed...somewhere....the phone has to be considered (I think)

Even if you were to use a TS snapshot to go back quite a way....to a date where you know everything was cool and working?......and then use your phone in your usual manner....if it all works as usual then it is a Linux update.....it it doesn't work, then it has to be the phone.

 

[garyn]

Condobloke, my phone has not had an update, good thought though. But re-installing a clone made before the updates above in my view casts suspicion on the updates. My phone works perfectly with the earlier clone in both workstations and applying all the updates except the ones on the second post to me at least points the problem to what I did not update.

I'll re-apply those updates after cloning where my machine is as for now but I'll keep my faith in the earlier clones

 

[garyn]

Well, I applied all four of the updates listed above one at a time, re-booted and after all four updates my dadgum phone is connecting for file transfer!

Add to that if I re-install the original drive that failed my phone STILL fails to connect!

So I have to believe that one or more updates may have been corrupted in the drive that failed and I'll continue making clone drives after every update... just in case.

 

[deb_user]

I almost never use a USB connection to my Android phone. That's clunky. I transfer files all the time, but wirelessly. There are multiple ways to do that. I don't use wires for anything unless I absolutely have to.

 

[garyn]

I almost never use a USB connection to my Android phone. That's clunky. I transfer files all the time, but wirelessly. There are multiple ways to do that. I don't use wires for anything unless I absolutely have to.

Hang on, are you suggesting that just because there's more than one way to do something everyone should just "go with the flow" if the ability to do something stops working or otherwise goes away and use an alternate method? Because the first way is out of style or "clunky" ?

Suppose your machine does not support the alternate feature, should everyone just dump the entire machine?

Just IMO but having to enable one feature on both ends when just plugging in a cable works faster is clunky.

 

[deb_user]

I was only suggesting that I don't like using cables if I don't have to. There are multiple ways to transfer wirelessly on any machine, and I use one of them. I primarily use KDEConnect, but there are other ways. But if you like using a USB cable, then do it that way. It's your choice.