SSH (Secure Shell)
You can access the command line of a Raspberry Pi remotely from another computer or device on the same network using SSH.
The Raspberry Pi will act as a remote device: you can connect to it using a client on another machine.
You only have access to the command line, not the full desktop environment. For a full remote desktop, see VNC.
1. Set up your local network and wireless connectivity
Make
sure your Raspberry Pi is properly set up and connected. If you are
using wireless networking, this can be enabled via Pixel's user
interface, or using the command line.
If you are not using wireless connectivity, plug your Raspberry Pi directly into the router.
You
will need to note down the IP address of your Pi in order to connect to
it later. Using the ifconfig command will display information about the
current network status, including the IP address, or you can use
hostname -I to display the IP addresses associated with the device.
2. Enable SSH
As of the November 2016 release, Raspbian has the SSH server disabled by default. It can be enabled manually from the desktop:
1. Launch Raspberry Pi Configuration from the Preferences menu
2. Navigate to the Interfaces tab
3. Select Enabled next to SSH
4. Click OK
Alternatively, raspi-config can be used:
1. Enter sudo raspi-config in a terminal window
2. Select Interfacing Options
3. Navigate to and select SSH
4. Choose Yes
5. Select Ok
6. Choose Finish
3. Enable SSH on a headless Raspberry Pi
For
headless setup, SSH can be enabled by placing a file named ssh, without
any extension, onto the boot partition of the SD card. When the Pi
boots, it looks for the ssh file. If it is found, SSH is enabled, and
the file is deleted. The content of the file does not matter: it could
contain text, or nothing at all.
4. Set up your client
SSH
is built into Linux distributions and Mac OS. For Windows and mobile
devices, third-party SSH clients are available. See the following guides
for using SSH with the OS on your computer or device:
- Linux & Mac OS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android