COPY Data to Your raspberry Pi using sftp

1 The benefits of SFTP

With so many options for copying data to and from a Raspberry Pi, you might wonder which is best. Easiest to set up and compatible with software on all platforms is SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol). The best software for this is the Filezilla client, available on Linux, macos, Windows and more. Once installed, simply drag and drop data to and from your Raspberry Pi.

2 Set up SSH

Start off by enabling SSH on your Pi. You might use raspiconfig (Interfacing Options > SSH) or create an empty text file called ssh in the boot directory before booting. But it’s easiest via the desktop. Open Menu > Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces and set SSH to ‘Enabled’. Click OK to finish, then reboot the Raspberry Pi to ensure SSH is set.

3 Install an SFTP Client

The open source Filezilla FTP client features SFTP functionality. This allows you to move data from your PC to your Raspberry Pi using SSH, but with the mouse-driven interface of a desktop app. To install on your desktop PC, head to https://filezilla-project.org. On Ubuntu, install with: sudo apt install filezilla .

4 Set up a site in Filezilla

To use SFTP, set up your Raspberry Pi as a ‘site’ in Filezilla. Open File > Site Manager, then New Site. On the right-hand pane, add your Pi’s hostname or IP address. Below this, set the SFTP option, then input your Pi’s username and password. Finally, click Connect. As long as both devices are connected to the same network, a remote connection should be established.

5 Copy data to your Pi

Copying data with Filezilla is simple. On the left, you’ll see files on your PC. On the right are those stored on your Raspberry Pi. To copy data to your Raspberry Pi, browse for it in the lefthand pane, then select the file you want to copy, and double-click it. The transfer will commence. You can also right-click and choose Upload, or simply drag and drop.

6 Edit remote files locally

As well as copying files from the Raspberry Pi, you can also edit them on your PC. This creates a temporary file that is then re-uploaded once saved. Right-click a file, then select Edit to download and open it in a suitable app on your PC. After saving,

Filezilla will ask you if you want to copy it back to the Pi. Click OK to proceed.