Ubuntu 16.04下iPad显示“Not charging”且ipad_charge报错求助

Hey there, fellow Ubuntu newbie—let’s get your iPad charging properly on your 16.04 system. I know you ran into that frustrating "Not charging" message and the ipad_charge error (-6), so here’s the verified fix from Alex_Krug that resolves the issue, plus some alternative methods if you want other options.

Fixing the ipad_charge "Unable to claim the interface: error (-6)" #

This error almost always means another system process is already using the USB interface your iPad is connected to. Here’s how to free it up and get ipad_charge working:

• First, stop the usbmuxd service (it handles iOS device connections and often blocks ipad_charge):

  sudo systemctl stop usbmuxd
  

• Next, unload the usb_storage module temporarily—it might be interfering with power delivery:

  sudo rmmod usb_storage
  

• Now run ipad_charge with sudo privileges to claim the interface:

  sudo ipad_charge
  

• Once your iPad starts charging, you can restart usbmuxd if you need to use other iOS features (like file transfer) later:

  sudo systemctl start usbmuxd
  

• To make this fix permanent (so you don’t have to run these commands every time), create a udev rule:
  1. Open a new file with sudo:

     sudo nano /etc/udev/rules.d/99-ipad-charge.rules
     

  2. Paste this content into the file:

     SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="05ac", ATTR{idProduct}=="12[9a-f]", MODE="0666", RUN+="/usr/sbin/ipad_charge"
     

  3. Save and exit (Ctrl+O, then Ctrl+X in nano), then reload udev rules:

     sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
     

Alternative Ways to Charge Your iPad on Ubuntu 16.04 #

If you’d rather skip ipad_charge entirely, these methods work great too:

• Use a Powered USB Hub: Ubuntu’s built-in USB ports sometimes don’t supply enough power for iPad charging. Plug a powered hub into your computer, then connect your iPad to the hub—this is a quick hardware fix that avoids any software tweaks.
• Disable USB Autosuspend: Some laptops limit USB power output to save battery. To disable this for all USB devices (note: this uses slightly more laptop battery):
  1. Create a config file:

     sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/usb-power.conf
     

  2. Add this line:

     options usbcore autosuspend=-1
     

  3. Save, exit, and reboot your system.
• Wall Charger Backup: If all else fails, keeping an iPad wall charger handy is a reliable fallback—though I know you wanted to use your Ubuntu computer, this is a sure way to get your battery topped up.

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Yu Zhang