File fransfer from iPad to FreeBSD

[Per olof Ljungmark]

On 02/16/18 17:40, Valeri Galtsev wrote:
> 
> 
> On 02/16/18 03:47, Polytropon wrote:
>> Did anyone succeed in transfering files _from_ an iPad _to_
>> a FreeBSD machine using the USB cable? The setting where this
>> should work consists of a FreeBSD 10.3-p24 (32 bit) and an
>> iPad 32 GB with iOS 11.0.3 15A432.
>>
>> Attaching the iPad shows ipheth0 and ue0 devices.
>>
>> I have installed the imobiledevice and fusefs-ifuse packages
>> via pkg.
>>
>> With the command
>>
>>     # idevice pair
>>
>> execute twice (with confirming the trust dialog on the iPad)
>> I got the system to print the iPad's device ID. But any of
>> the other idevice* commands just leads to an error:
>>
>>     # ideviceinfo
>>     ERROR: Could not connect to lockdownd, error code -3
>>
>> Mounting attempts fail as well:
>>
>>     # ifuse -d -u <ID> /mnt
>>     Failed to connect to lockdownd service on the device.
>>     Try again. If it still fails try rebooting your device.
>>
>> I did as instructed (repeated command, rebooted iPad), but no
>> success.
>>
>> It does not matter if /var/lib/lockdown is mode 777 or what
>> it initially was. It also does not matter if the commands are
>> being executed as root or as a normal user.
>>
>>
>>
>> I have also tried gtkpod, but it doesn't detect anything at
>> all. Manually configuring the iPad doesn't help, it does not
>> connect, and the error message ("unsupported checksum type")
>> doesn't help.
>>
>>
>>
>> I also fully understand that Apple doesn't want me to be able
>> to easily transfer files from (or to) the iPad except with
>> their tools, but I don't care what Apple wants. That's why
>> the "recommended solutions" don't work for me because:
>>
>> 1. I won't buy a Mac.
>>
>> 2. I won't buy a new PC plus a license of "Windows".
>>
>> 3. I won't give out any personal identification information
>>     to Apple or MICROS~1 in order to "register".
>>
>> 4. I won't register at a "cloud" storage provider.
>>
>> So please no suggestions to "just" use iTunes.
> 
> I have 100% sympathy to all requirements above. However, withing these
> constraints it probably isn't possible, except for sending stuff to
> email address. The reasons are (as far as I know them):
> 
> 1. you on iOS device are in jail. Therefore you have no access to
> filesystem, except the way Apple gave you
> 
> 2. Exporting filesystem over USB is something that Apple does its best
> to not allow. They do their best to make it so that only iTunes is
> capable to talk to iOS device connected via USB. All reports of people
> able to access filesystem of iOS device are considered security breaches
> by Apple, which they "fix" as soon as the can
> 
> 3. Accessing filesystem of iOS device connected via USB is how these iOS
> devices are jailbroken. The last is violation of agreement with Apple
> you sign when you first touch the darn device
> 
> 4. Any application - free or not - can only be installed on iOS devices
> through "Application store" owned by Apple - to use which you have to
> have Apple account, and disclose to them your information. At some point
> they were as nasty as requiring to have your valid, verified by them to
> work credit card number, even if you only install free applications. I
> do not know if they became less nasty. My workaround was: my credit card
> company allows me to create "virtual accounts", I was giving Apple that
> one, and after that I immeditely closed that virtual account.
> 
> 
> Taking into consideration all above, one option is emailing stuff to
> yourself. You can set up your own mail server accepting huge messages,
> and listening to your home network only, and make that iOS device on the
> same home network, and send huge e-mails with very many photos in each.
> Another option somewhat violating your requirements is to install open
> source equivalent of "dropbox" on your machine: I use owncloud, which I
> set up for the Department some 3 or so years ago. Then you will have to
> use apple store once, and buy for $0.99 mobile owncloud client. Mind
> though that you need decently new version of iOS, owncloud client coming
> through apple store will refuse to work with older versions of iOS.
> 
>  <rant>
> Almost all applications coming through apple store will refuse to
> install on older version of iOS. Thus, iOS devices are planfully
> (painfully for us, stupid, who paid for them) obsoleted by Apple: they
> do not let you upgrade to latest iOS rather old devices. Once you
> acquire iOS device discarded by someone else, to take it into your
> possession you have to reinstall iOS (and present your valid appleID at
> first boot). But after that you will not be able to install pretty much
> none of applications through apple store, as apple controls that apple
> store, and almost all applications will refuse to install on older
> system. There you have it. Trash your [cr]Apple gadget. And now that you
> became cleverer - which resembles less that 5% of people on my
> observation - you hopefully will not buy anything from this vendor, not
> from Microsoft either, and hopefully not one of "googloids" (Androids).
> Which leaves you with almost only - great though - choice that Matthias
> told about: Purism smartphone, or laptop... Which will be my choice as
> soon as I have to discard one of my current devices.
> </rant>
> 
> Valeri
> 
>>
>> Honestly, what's the problem of not presenting the device as
>> a USB mass storage device? Even Android devices can do this
>> (with specific limitations)! Shouldn't the iPad be easier to
>> use, more advanced, more professionsl? ;-)

I disagree that it is "impossible" or "very difficult" to access an iOS
device over USB, as I wrote earlier today, and that phone is not
jailbroken, it is very standard iPhone version 10 something.

I also believe that Apple does all the above not only to make our lives
difficult, for a "normal" user things does in fact work pretty well, but
as you and others mentioned, it means that your are giving them access
to a lot of personal info. This is a choice I suppose we all have to
make today.

Cheers,

//per