How to Setup a Raspberry Pi Remote Desktop

Ben
Ben
@benjislab

Sometimes you need to access a Raspberry Pi without connecting it to a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Perhaps the Raspberry Pi is embedded in a robot or mounted in an inconvenient location. Or maybe you don’t have a spare monitor. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up remote desktop access on your Raspberry Pi.

Remote Control Over the Local Network

To remotely control your Raspberry Pi from another device on your local network, use one of the following services:

SSH (Secure SHell)

SSH provides secure access to a terminal session on your Raspberry Pi.

  1. Enable SSH on Raspberry Pi:
    • On the desktop: Go to Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces and enable SSH.
    • From the terminal:
sudo raspi-config

Select Interfacing Options > SSH > Yes.

  1. Find the IP Address:

    • Use hostname -I or check your router's client list.

  2. Connect via SSH:

    • From another device, use an SSH client like PuTTY (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux):
ssh pi@<your_raspberry_pi_ip>

Replace <your_raspberry_pi_ip> with the actual IP address of your Raspberry Pi.

VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

VNC provides secure access to a desktop screen share on your Raspberry Pi.

  1. Enable VNC on Raspberry Pi:
    • On the desktop: Go to Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces and enable VNC.
    • From the terminal:
sudo raspi-config

Select Interfacing Options > VNC > Yes.

  1. Install VNC Viewer:

    • Download and install VNC Viewer on your client device from the RealVNC website.

  2. Connect via VNC:

    • Open VNC Viewer and enter the IP address of your Raspberry Pi to connect.

Raspberry Pi Connect

Raspberry Pi Connect shares your Raspberry Pi’s screen securely with no need to determine your local IP address.

Share Files Between Devices Over the Local Network

NFS (Network File System)

NFS enables you to share files between devices on the local network without directly controlling the remote device.

  1. Install NFS on Raspberry Pi:
sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server
  1. Configure NFS Exports:
    • Edit /etc/exports to add the directories you want to share:
/home/pi/shared 192.168.1.0/24(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)
  1. Export the Shared Directories:
sudo exportfs -a
sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server

SCP (Secure Copy Protocol)

SCP sends files over SSH.

  1. Copy Files to Raspberry Pi:
scp myfile.txt pi@<your_raspberry_pi_ip>:/home/pi/
  1. Copy Files from Raspberry Pi:
scp pi@<your_raspberry_pi_ip>:/home/pi/myfile.txt .

Remote Control Over the Internet

To remotely control your Raspberry Pi from any device connected to the Internet, you can:

  • Expose SSH or VNC on your Raspberry Pi over the open internet, within a VPN, or using an external service like RealVNC’s cloud VNC Viewer.
  • Use Raspberry Pi Connect, a free screen sharing and remote shell service provided by Raspberry Pi.

Find the IP Address of Your Raspberry Pi

Using the Desktop

Hover over the network icon in the system tray, and a tooltip will appear displaying your IP address.

Using the Command Line

Run the following command to output your local IP address to the command line:

hostname -I

Using Network Manager

Use the built-in Network Manager CLI (nmcli) to access details about your network:

nmcli device show

Check Your Router’s List of Devices

Log in to your router’s control panel and browse to the list of connected devices to find your Raspberry Pi.

Use nmap

The Network Mapper command (nmap) can scan devices on your network:

sudo apt install nmap 
sudo nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Access a Remote Terminal with SSH

Enable the SSH Server

  • On the desktop: Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces > Enable SSH
  • From the terminal:
sudo raspi-config

Select Interfacing Options > SSH > Yes`

Connect to an SSH Server

Open a terminal window on your computer and enter:

ssh pi@<your_raspberry_pi_ip>

Screen Share with VNC

Enable the VNC Server

  • On the desktop: Preferences > Raspberry Pi Configuration > Interfaces > Enable VNC
  • From the terminal:
sudo raspi-config

Select Interfacing Options > VNC > Yes`

Connect to a VNC Server

Download VNC Viewer and connect using the IP address of your Raspberry Pi.

Conclusion

Setting up remote desktop access on your Raspberry Pi is essential for managing your device without the need for a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Whether you use SSH, VNC, or other services, this guide provides you with the steps to remotely access and control your Raspberry Pi. Enjoy the flexibility of managing your Raspberry Pi from anywhere in your local network or even over the internet!