SSH How-to: type CLI terminal commands into your phone from your Linux computer

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#1

I thought it was perhaps not an evidence to all on how to ssh into the phone.
To ease terminal command typing, to ease copy-paste, to solve things, it is useful being able to do it into a computer. Very handy and faster.
So here is a simple how-to. Feel free to complete/comment.

This is for Linux machines as I don’t know how it goes in Windows or Macos.
edit: @gaidheal indicated Powershell + some module to install, can be used in Windows.

USB

On the phone side:

  • Go into the settings and open Developer Tools
  • Tick Developer Mode
  • Tick Remote connection
  • Enter a password, click “Save” + enter code
  • Look at the USB IP address (usually 192.168.2.13)
  • You can close the page and the settings.

Plug the phone to the computer and tick “developper mode”

On the computer side:

  • Open a terminal

  • Depending on your useranme, type either:

    ssh defaultuser@192.168.2.13 (or the USB IP address you found earlier instead of 192.168.2.13)

    or

    ssh nemo@192.168.2.13 (or the USB IP address you found earlier instead of 192.168.2.13)

    If you ignore your username (nemo or defaultuser), just open a terminal window. The username will be written in the prompt. (Terminal app just appeared in the app grid when you enabled Developer Mode)

  • Enter the password you entered in the phone in the Developer Tools page

    You are now into your phone.

  • To exit and come back into your computer’s shell, type:

    CTRL-D

    or

    exit

WIFI

If you want to connect without cable but through wifi:

  • Connect the phone’s wifi
  • Connect your computer
  • Look at the WLAN address in the Settings Developer tools page
  • Follow the same procedure but replace the USB IP address by the WLAN address.
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#2

If you’re on the same network you can ssh into it without usb.
secondly powershell in windows supports ssh, you may need to install module for it though.

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#3

Thanks for pointing. Will add more details about that.

#4

To log in without having to type the password from a Linux host:

    $ ssh-keygen -t rsa

Use the default file locations and leave the password empty (provided you are the only root on your computer).

    $ ssh-copy-id defaultuser@IP

Type the depeloper password one last time. After that public-key authentication should work.

Now you can become root on your Jolla and copy ~defaultuser/.ssh/authorized_keys to ~/.ssh. After that

    $ ssh root@IP

should also work without asking for a password.

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#5

Thanks, Very handy!
Security oriented people might wish only using that for defaultuser and not for root?

#6

Older users will still be nemo as the user. I know my devices are still nemo@x.x.x.x

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#7

Yes right, thanks, I added.

#8

nice description. it worked like this with all my sailfish os i had until it stopped working in xperia 10 III. there the connection is not set up and the computer doesn’t see a network-device upon connection oth the phone. not nice this …

#9

My 5 cents in this lovely topic:
In linux, you can create (or edit) the file ~/.ssh/config and add the following:

Host 37
    Hostname 192.168.0.37
    User defaultuser
        
Host 215
    Hostname 192.168.2.15
    User defaultuser

where:

  • 37 is the wifi IP - set static on mobile or edit your DHCP settings to give a static ip on the mac of your mobile
  • 192.168.0.37 is the IP your mobile has
  • defaultuser is the username you use in SailfishOS

The same goes for “215” , which I use it when I connect my mobile with my pc.

After you save the file simply type:

ssh 37

and you connect to your mobile

cheers

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