How To: Fastboot or ADB on Ubuntu returning no devices or “Waiting for Device”? Here’s how to fix it.
I was having some issues getting my devices recognized in fastboot/adb on Ubuntu.
“fastboot devices” just returned back to the terminal prompt, without showing any connected devices, so I tried using the -i option to specify a usb vendor ID, like “fastboot-linux -i 0x413c reboot”. This just hung on “waiting for device”. I kinda ignored it, since I actually use my mac for most fastboot/adb, but tonight I was bored and fucking off on the CyanogenMod forums shoutbox, and someone was having the same problem. I did a bit of googling and found a solution that worked for me (and M.P.)
As usual, I’m not responsible for fucking your phone up or accidentally dividing by zero or going back to the future or hacking the gibson or anything else that happens. I’m not an expert. I wouldn’t listen to me, I’m kinda an asshole, I have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m usually just guessing. Proceed at your own peril, etc, etc, etc.
Here’s the step by step fix, assuming you’re running ubuntu 10.04:
1. Open a terminal window.
2. Log in as root.
sudo -i
3. Create a UDEV rule file.
cat > /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
This should give you a blinking cursor at the very beginning of a blank line, it’s waiting for you to tell it what the file needs to contain.
4. Enter this AFTER YOU REPLACE “XXXX” WITH YOUR VENDORID:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="XXXX", MODE="0666"
(You can find your vendor ID on this page.
For example, for my Dell Streak, I would use:
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", SYSFS{idVendor}=="413c", MODE="0666")
5. Press CTRL + D to save, it should return you to the terminal prompt
6. chmod the new file
chmod a+r /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules
7. Try fastboot. It should work now.
fastboot devices
Hopefully you get “Attached devices” with your devices serial number, if so, you’re good to go, fastboot should no longer hang at “waiting for device”. To be sure, try
fastboot reboot
If your device reboots, you win life.
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