How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even buttons

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YaYa
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How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even buttons

Post by YaYa » Wed Jul 26, 2017 3:30 pm

For people having issues with wifi and ssh, here's a step by step to make it work without screen, or keyboard lol...
Everything is done with your computer (windows or whatever you have)

1)Plug the SD card to windows computer (assumed you've already flashed it)
2) on the boot partition, create a file called ssh without extension, without anything inside the file
3) create another file called wpa_supplicant.conf (confirm extension change if asked)
4) edit the wpa_supplicant.conf file and paste this inside

Code: Select all

network={
	ssid="YourNetworkSSID"
	psk="Your Network's Passphrase"
	key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}
of course you change ssid and psk to whatever your ssid and password is... lol
5) save the file and exit.
6) eject the sd card properly
7) plug it into the pi
8) turn power on
9) go to your home router and find the ip address of the pi (network named is retropie by default)
---> look next post, you can skip this step

On your desktop computer :
10) go https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgt ... atest.html and download the latest version of putty
11) launch putty
12) type the retropie's ip address into hostname field ---> type retropie.local as hostname instead, easier and faster
Since retropie 4.3, the new hostname is simply retropie
13) leave port set to 22
14) type a name into saved sessions to save this session under this name (eg MyRetropie)
15) click save
16) click load
17) type login (default is pi)
18) type password (default is raspberry)
19) enjoy :mrgreen:

This only works only with wpa credential.

Explanation :

you tell retropie to activate ssh by putting ssh file under boot folder (otherwise it is desactivated by default)
you force creation of /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf into / folder from /boot partition even if you cannot see the / partition (under windows at least as it an ext4fs partition) the file wpa_supplicant.conf is automatically moved
In this file you supply all information to connect to wifi.
As simple as ABC :lol:
Last edited by YaYa on Fri Dec 08, 2017 10:02 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by YaYa » Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:57 am

EDIT : 04 august 2017
You can jump the find ip section and directly type "retropie.local" without the quotes as hostname and it will just work fine... so no time loose, and no bugging when you move elsewhere :D
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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by Diam0ndz » Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:19 pm

This was extremely useful. Thank you!

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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by YaYa » Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:43 pm

Diam0ndz wrote:
Thu Aug 17, 2017 4:19 pm
This was extremely useful. Thank you!
You are welcome :D
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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by Robochris » Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:14 pm

And just to contribute..
if you're on a Mac (like me) you can skip 10 and 11. And just use terminal.

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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by YaYa » Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:16 pm

Robochris wrote:
Thu Sep 07, 2017 2:14 pm
And just to contribute..
if you're on a Mac (like me) you can skip 10 and 11. And just use terminal.
Yes, you are right :D same for linux users lol :mrgreen:
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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by Beautjes » Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:00 am

You are my hero YaYa!!
I just destroyed my USB port so I had no way of using a keyboard for programming anymore.
You just saved my ass!

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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by YaYa » Thu Sep 14, 2017 5:16 am

Glad to see your ass shining again so :mrgreen:

:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by Thechea » Mon Dec 04, 2017 10:35 pm

If we input the wrong network name (used a 5gz network and pi can only use 2.4?) in the wpa_supplicant file, can we make a change? (do we just recreate the file?)

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Re: How to connect via ssh over wifi to your Pi from desktop computer without attached screen, or keyboard, or even butt

Post by YaYa » Mon Dec 04, 2017 11:02 pm

Yes recreate the file, it will be overwritten during boot !
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