Intro

Sometimes and depending on your Linux setup, it is important to set the right permission to the USB device (phone) in order for adb to work. When permission issues exist one common problem is to get no permissions when trying to list devices with adb.

List of devices attached 
????????????    no permissions

Solving Permission issues

In order to solve this issue for good, besides residing dirty hacks such as running adb as root, is to create udev rules. With these rules you just force your desired permissions to the connected USB device (phone). A quick example on how to create such rules is the following.

Step 1:

Run lsusb to see attached USB devices.

...
Bus 002 Device 059: ID 18d1:4e42 Google Inc.

This is the result for a Google Nexus 7 connected in MTP mode with USB Debug on. It gives :

• the Manufacturer ID as hex: 18d1
• the Model ID as hex: 4e42

Step 2:

No create the file /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules and add the following:

# Google
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="18d1", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

By the way the right permissions for the51-android.rules file are 644:

chmod 644 /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules

Now you need to reload to use the new rules.

udev Rules for many Manufacturers

Below is a file that contains a list of several manufacturers to cover many cases:

# udev rule to detect android devices
# These rules refer to http://developer.android.com/tools/device.html

# Acer
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0502", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Archos
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e79", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Asus
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0b05", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Azpen Onda
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1f3a", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# BQ
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2a47", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Dell
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="413c", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Fairphone
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2ae5", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Foxconn
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0489", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Fujitsu Toshiba 
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04c5", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Garmin-Asus
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="091e", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Genesys
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="d324", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Google
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="18d1", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Haier
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="201e", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Hisense
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="109b", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# HTC, Wiko
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0bb4", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Huawei
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="12d1", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Intel
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="8087", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# K-Touch
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="24e3", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# KT Tech
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2116", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Kyocera
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0482", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Lab126
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1949", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Lenovo
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="17ef", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# LG
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1004", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Meizu
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2a45", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Micromax
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1ebf", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Motorola
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="22b8", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# MTK
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# NEC
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0409", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Nook
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2080", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Nvidia
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0955", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# OnePlus Two (unknown vendor's name)
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2a70", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Oppo
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="22d9", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# OTGV
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2257", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Pantech
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="10a9", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Pegatron
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1d4d", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Philips
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0471", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# PMC-Sierra
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04da", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Qualcomm
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05c6", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Rockcwell Electronics
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2207", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# SK Telesys
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1f53", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Samsung
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04e8", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Sharp
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="04dd", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Sony
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="054c", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Sony Ericsson
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0fce", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Spreadtrum
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1782", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# T & A Mobile Phones
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1bbb", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Teleepoch
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2340", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Texas Instruments UsbBoot
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0451", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Toshiba
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0930", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Wearners
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05c6", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Wileyfox
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2970", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# XiaoMi
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2717", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# YU
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="1ebf", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# Zebra
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05e0", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0451", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# ZTE
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="19d2", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"
# ZUK
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2b4c", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

Download it here:

Android Nougat or O device showing unknown target in eclipse

If it happens that you are still using eclipse for your Android project, it might happen that your device is still showing as unknown target in the device manager. Don’t worry as this is not a adb problem. You need to install a patched ADT plugin.

Step 1:

Download the patched ADT plugin. Download the .zip file (do not unpack it).

Step 2:

1. Start Eclipse, then select Help > Install New Software.
2. Click Add, in the top-right corner.
3. In the Add Repository dialog, click Archive.
4. Select the downloaded ADT-21.1.0.zip file and click OK.
5. Enter “ADT Plugin” for the name and click OK.
6. In the Available Software dialog, select the checkbox next to Developer Tools and click Next.
7. In the next window, you’ll see a list of the tools to be downloaded. Click Next.
8. Read and accept the license agreements, then click Finish.
9. If you get a security warning saying that the authenticity or validity of the software can’t be established, click OK.
10. When the installation completes, restart Eclipse.

To update your plugin once you’ve installed using the zip file, you will have to follow these steps again instead of the default update instructions.

And you are done! Now the should be visible and recognized by eclipse ADT.

References

• Ubuntu 14.04 – Install Android Tools (ADB, Fastboot & QtADB)
• Android Nougat device showing unknown target in eclipse
• khaledev/ADT
• Installing ADT Plugin