Music transfer from Ubuntu 16.04 to iOS 10 iPhone 6+

Question

I installed libimobiledevice package and I can access the pictures of my iPhone using the files browser.

But my iPhone doesn't show up in Rhythmbox. Why is that? What could I do to transfer music into my iPhone in this case?

Solution

The iPhone OS, called iOS, is constantly updated. With each update, it tends to break compatibility with the libimobiledevice. This is why you can't use your iPhone with Ubuntu to transfer music, etc.

Accessing the pictures of the iPhone is more or less USB Storage-class communication, which doesn't change between revisions of the iOS. The core OS handling for music, however, changes, which breaks the compatibility.

The only way to transfer your music to your iPhone is, unfortunately, to be using iTunes, on either a Windows or a Mac machine. I do this from within a Windows VM within my Ubuntu system, passing through the USB for my iPhone right to the VM so it can be used (I use VMware, but VirtualBox will work for those who don't pay money to VMware for their stuff).

Comments

[WinEunuuchs2Unix]

try installing libimobiledevice from mfg's website rather than Ubuntu repositories. Here's the link: libimobiledevice.org

[MMa]

@WinEunuuchs2Unix I cannot see how I can download it from there, the webpage says "Ubuntu (Packages in the official repositories)".

[WinEunuuchs2Unix]

@Mohammed Perhaps I'm wrong about mfg's website having up-to-date programs but you should contact them with any bug reports in the very least.

[NoBugs]

Why don't you transfer music to the VLC app's shared-documents-folder through usb? That app works.

[truongnm]

@NoBugs can VLC import into iPhone Music app directly? Or only able to access that file in VLC app?

[NoBugs]

@truongnm Use VLC, it works... as long as you don't make mistake of upgrading ios :/

[truongnm]

That count? Poor me then ._. What ios does this trick work? @NoBugs

[NoBugs]

@truongnm It works with iOS8 and possibly some newer ones if you do some workarounds and complie a bunch of stuff, last I checked it was not plugnplay iOS9+, they want to make it less easy to use each new release it seems.

[jchook]

If you don't mind having no features and sharing your music selection with corporations, you can use the Dropbox app.