Opening MTP Android device fails with "the location is not a folder" while gvfs mount is healthy
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Description
Description
Clicking an Android phone (connected via USB in MTP / File Transfer mode) from Nemo's sidebar or "Devices" view produces the error "the location is not a folder". The device's mtp:// URI fails to open as a browsable folder in Nemo, even though the gvfs MTP backend has successfully mounted the device.
Environment
- Linux Mint 22.3 (Cinnamon), Ubuntu 24.04 base
- Nemo: 6.6.3
- gvfs-backends: 1.54.4-0ubuntu1~24.04.2
- gvfs-fuse: 1.54.4-0ubuntu1~24.04.2
- libmtp9t64: 1.1.21-3.1ubuntu1
Device
- Samsung Galaxy phone, Android 16, connected via USB, "File transfer (MTP)" mode selected
- USB ID:
04e8:6860(Samsung Galaxy series, MTP mode)
Steps to reproduce
- Connect Android phone via USB.
- On the phone, select "File transfer / Android Auto" USB mode.
- In Nemo, click the phone entry in the sidebar (or the "SAMSUNG Android" volume).
Expected behavior
Nemo opens the phone's storage and lists its top-level folders (DCIM, Download, etc.).
Actual behavior
Nemo shows: "the location is not a folder" and does not browse into the device.
Diagnostic evidence the mount is actually healthy
`gio mount -li` reports:
```
Volume(0): SAMSUNG Android
Type: GProxyVolume (GProxyVolumeMonitorMTP)
activation_root=mtp://SAMSUNG_SAMSUNG_Android_/
Mount: mtp -> mtp://SAMSUNG_SAMSUNG_Android_/
```
And the FUSE path is fully browsable:
```
$ ls "/run/user/1000/gvfs/mtp:host=SAMSUNG_SAMSUNG_Android_/"
Internal storage
```
Workaround
Opening the FUSE path directly works:
```
nemo "/run/user/1000/gvfs/mtp:host=/Internal storage"
```
So the gvfs MTP mount itself is fine — the issue appears to be in how Nemo navigates `mtp://` URIs from the sidebar/device entry.
Additional notes
- Not covered by existing issues #2734, #2663, or #3474 (those describe mount failures or segfaults — here the mount succeeds).
- Related but distinct from #3291 (preview with MTP).
Contributor guide
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First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by tracing Nemo's sidebar and Devices-view activation path for the reported mtp:// URI, then compare it with the working FUSE path shown in the issue. Reproduce with an MTP device and confirm that selecting the device opens its storage and lists top-level folders such as DCIM and Download instead of reporting that the location is not a folder.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- c
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 52/100