Mastodawn

mcc Apr 9, 2024

Hmm… I would say… this is not a very good error message.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

Anybody want to give me advice on how to back up everything important from an Android phone? Assume I have about… eight hours and somewhere in there I have to sleep.

I guess I'm using adb, but I barely know what I'm supposed to be grabbing, also neither adb pull nor the https://github.com/jb2170/better-adb-sync tool google says to use is like… y'know… doing anything…

GitHub - jb2170/better-adb-sync: Completely rewritten adbsync with --exclude

Completely rewritten adbsync with --exclude. Contribute to jb2170/better-adb-sync development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub

mcc Apr 9, 2024

What I really really REALLY need is an android file extraction tool that, when it hits a permission error on trying to download a file, will skip that file and download everything else instead of hard aborting

Failing that, what I'd really really REALLY like is a way to back up my Element/Signal keys/conversations without uploading them to the Element or Signal server. And also ideally without my phone having a screen

mcc Apr 9, 2024

Me: I would like to back up my files to my laptop

EVERY SINGLE PHONE, APP, OPERATING SYSTEM, APPLICATION, LITERALLY ANYTHING: Sure, just send the files to us over the Internet

Me: That is not what I said

mcc Apr 9, 2024

SIGNAL/ELEMENT/PROBABLY BITCOIN, I WOULDN'T KNOW: You cannot trust cloud providers and remote "apps" with your data. The appropriate thing is to store your private keys on your phone, since that is a secure, personal device you carry with you at all times

A LITERAL ROCK: Hey check out this cool trick

mcc Apr 9, 2024

It wasn't a very *big* rock, but apparently it doesn't need to be a very big rock to make the screen do… … whatever… whatever this is it's doing right now … permanently

Eric Stein �Apr 10, 2024

@mcc I went through a lot of pain to figure out that I the answer was "use a time machine to root your device back before you put all those things you care about on it"

Which is just extremely upsetting

@mcc it's ludicrous to me that supposedly "secure" services have no answer for what to do if you drop your phone in some water and it dies instantly. and they treat you like some sort of cop for wanting to have a local backup on a general purpose computer (alternately, the super infantilizing "but that wouldn't be secure, so we'll make it completely impossible but never explain this so tons of people will have this need and then independently arrive at the conclusion that it's unsupported.)

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@jplebreton @mcc sorry if this comes off as "ackshually" but all of those have mechanisms for what you want:

- signal has chat backups, which you can opt for a shared folder/drive (cloud, syncthing, whatever)
- element lets you backup room e2e keys, and recommends putting your security key somewhere safe (not on the same device)
- most reputable crypto wallets have a seed phrase to generate/recover your assets, and also recommend keeping that in a safe separate place

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@jplebreton @mcc (this was a reply only to the post immediately preceding)

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@xyhhx @jplebreton yeah in context part of the problem is "can i do this without a screen?" (answer: it's ok to not have a screen because there is scrcpy)

also I am going to Yu Gi Oh Trap Card you here with the ultimate Well Akshually: The signal backup feature only works on Android

(I have an Android)

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc wrt the rest of the thread i'm asking some other folks who might know what to do for you

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc for signal, you can probably use syncthing to sync the backups to your computer without putting them on some cloud

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@xyhhx @jplebreton i've located the signal feature can you help me find the element feature? what is it named, is it in the settings, what

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@xyhhx @jplebreton I went into the Element help channel on Element but uhh it's somehow deader than IRC in the year 2024

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc i'm assuming you aren't on desktop?

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc like you have no sessions on desktop/web that has those keys?

if on mobile are u on element x or the old element?

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@xyhhx I don't understand the question. I have an Android phone, a desktop computer, a USB-C cable and I am trying to extract a backup of my Element keys (doesn't need to be / shouldn't be messages, just keys) onto the desktop computer, which I can then push back to a different phone later. Because I'm about to wipe this phone for Reasons.

I do not know what "element x" is. There is an app named "Element" on my phone.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@xyhhx It is ok if I need to use the screen. I figured out how to control the screen from my computer.

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc element x is the new matrix app that's supposed to replace element:
https://element.io/labs/element-x

on the usual element for android:
tap your avatar, tap the cog, go to security & privacy, then export e2e room keys

you can use syncthing or your usb to transfer to your laptop

Element X | Future of Element | Fastest Matrix client

The brand new - fastest ever - Matrix-based communication app. Element X is currently a messenger; collaboration features will be added later this year.

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc https://ems-docs.element.io/books/element-cloud-documentation/page/export-and-import-e2e-room-keys

Export and Import E2E ... | Element Knowledge

Element Web and Desktop Export Go to Element Security & Privacy settings Click Export E2E room...

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc i'll be up for another 30-45 minutes but until then i'll be avail if u need more help

feel free to ping me

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@xyhhx thanks, you've been a big help, i think i have what i need now

xyhhx 🔻Apr 9, 2024

@mcc glad u got it!

Mimir Apr 9, 2024

@mcc with the Paranoid Hat on: ah, but you see, allowing an easy way to dump all conversations and secrets off a user's device (even if unlocked) is *exactly* what forensics tools like Cellebrite want to do, and protecting users against that sort of thing is important, and actually theres a difficult tradeoff here betw

with the Normal Hat on: however, there are generally more rocks than feds

Evgeniy Latuhin Apr 9, 2024

@mcc the sane backup system is why i bought Titanium Backup app for Android. It was in early stages of android and I had a phone that i had to manually update firmware for, because it was a Windows phone. Titanium Backup was a amazing tool. It worked and only required root to do additional stuff. Just zip "everything on the phone" in this folder => just install everything that is archived in this folder.
I didn't used it for about 5 years, but maybe it will help you.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@muhanga I've looked at that one before I think but I think it requires root

Evgeniy Latuhin Apr 9, 2024

@mcc yes it requires a root for most advanced stuff which is sad as most of the time it is not easy to get root.

bard Apr 9, 2024

@mcc how about sftp or rsync over LAN (not internet)

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@bard I tried rsync last month but it seems rsync on android, all the instructions online are 9 years old and refer to packages that no longer exist

Jordan Apr 9, 2024

@mcc Not a general solution, but Signal Android has “export backup to file”, at least. (Only Android, for the time being, for historical reasons that are probably cold comfort to someone whose phone fell in a lake. :-/ )

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose That's great. Question: Does this feature require your phone to have a screen

Jordan Apr 9, 2024

@mcc If you can figure out how to turn on voice control I bet you can do it that way. Also I forget how phones work with external displays. But fair point. :-/

BinaryUnit Apr 9, 2024

@mcc @jrose maybe this can help given that your screen is not available (assuming broken or something) https://github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy

GitHub - Genymobile/scrcpy: Display and control your Android device

Display and control your Android device. Contribute to Genymobile/scrcpy development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@BinaryUnit @jrose hm, actually this DOES help

Meg Apr 9, 2024

@mcc @jrose depending on the phone, if you have a USBC to HDMI dongle around you might be able to give it a screen...

skry Apr 9, 2024

@megmac @mcc @jrose Here are some possibly interesting apps UXRs use in usability testing for Android, in case you’re able to install.

https://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector
https://www.airsquirrels.com/airparrot/

Reflector 4 | Screen mirror Android, iOS & Chrome OS to a bigger screen

Reflector is a wireless mirroring and streaming receiver for Android devices, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and Windows computers and Chromebooks.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@skry @megmac @jrose Found something called "scrcpy". It's in Ubuntu's apt installer. Seems to work pretty well.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose I found a screen solution can you confirm that this "chat backup" is also going to back up my contact list? i care more about that than the chat transcripts

Jordan Apr 9, 2024

@mcc I…would like to say yes, but there’s the contacts in your system address book and Signal only kind of manages those? …but on the flip side, it’s a file. You can try restoring it somewhere else, and if it doesn’t do what you want, nothing lost.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose Hm. I don't know what this means. I have a list of people in Signal who it's verified has Signal and who I can/have keyswapped yet, and when I restore my phone this screen is blank. There is a feature where I can create a server backup by "creating a PIN" at which point it will be uploaded to their server and encrypted with some "secure enclave" snake oil, but I'm on tilt and I don't wanna upload shit to their servers, so… idk

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose Anyway thanks for help

Jordan Apr 9, 2024

@mcc There’s the main chat list and there’s the “New Message” list (pencil icon). But if you restore from a file I’d expect both to be repopulated. Certainly anyone who you have actually ever exchanged messages with and/or marked a key as verified should be there, even if the messages were disappearing.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose Thanks

Jordan Apr 9, 2024

@mcc (I work at Signal, but not on this. And I realize talking to someone across distraction delay has diminishing returns, so no worries if you stop replying to me while trying to solve your actual problem elsewhere. I passed along those UI glitches too, though; I suspect it’s something to do with the mirrored display.)

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose I don't think so because I reproduced them without the mirrored display (it is not so much the screen is *unavailable* it's just it is unavailable 80% of the time and the other 20% it is blinking green at 30hz). I believe the problem is a byproduct of the XPeria 5 III having a somewhat unusual aspect ratio. I would be happy to file a detailed bug report at a later time however it is 1 AM and I am desperately attempting to prepare this phone for destruction before my flight in the morning

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose ps the actual problem with the "please acknowledge your understanding by marking the con" box was I was in the box with the passcode, and there was a checkbox under the passcode, but i did not know i needed to scroll because that kind of popup box is not usually scrollable.

mcc Apr 9, 2024

@jrose unfortunately, due to the presence of the passcode in this box, I cannot screenshot it.