This is due to the limitations in non-Google mtp stacks. You cannot do direct file access, which makes it impossible to do low level file copies like this. The file managers use the gvfs api that allows file copies. From the command line you can use the gvfs-copy utility.
You could also install cyanogenmod on the phone to get the Google mtp stack. ** Package changed: coreutils (Ubuntu) => gvfs (Ubuntu) ** Changed in: gvfs (Ubuntu) Status: New => Invalid ** Changed in: gvfs (Ubuntu) Assignee: (unassigned) => Philip Langdale (langdalepl) -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to coreutils in Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1389001 Title: Can not copy files by cp from Samsung S5 Mini in GVFS in MTP mode Status in “gvfs” package in Ubuntu: Invalid Bug description: In terminal: jarnos@jarnos-OptiPlex-745:/run/user/1000/gvfs/mtp:host=%5Busb%3A002%2C013%5D/Card/DCIM/Camera$ ls -l 20141103_114415.jpg ; cp 20141103_114415.jpg ~/Desktop/ -rw------- 1 jarnos jarnos 1205994 marra 3 11:44 20141103_114415.jpg cp: cannot open ‘20141103_114415.jpg’ for reading: Operation not supported But I can browse to the folder by Thunar or PCManFM and copy paste a file to ~/Desktop/. On the other hand I can not open the files even via those file managers. ProblemType: Bug DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04 Package: coreutils 8.21-1ubuntu5 ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-39.66-lowlatency 3.13.11.8 Uname: Linux 3.13.0-39-lowlatency x86_64 ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.5 Architecture: amd64 CurrentDesktop: XFCE Date: Tue Nov 4 00:19:11 2014 EcryptfsInUse: Yes InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-09-21 (43 days ago) InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Studio 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.1) SourcePackage: coreutils UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install) To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gvfs/+bug/1389001/+subscriptions -- Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages Post to : touch-packages@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~touch-packages More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp