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Version: ROS 2 Jazzy

SSH and SFTP

Logging in via SSH​

To log into your robot via SSH you must first

  1. Install an SSH client on your computer. On Ubuntu the ssh command is available by default. On Windows, you may need to install a third-party program such as PuTTY
  2. Connect your robot and laptop to the same wireless network or directly connect your laptop and robot via ethernet.
  3. Determine the robot's IP address

To log into the robot, open a terminal and run the command

ssh robot@192.168.131.1

replacing 192.168.131.1 with the robot's wired or wireless address if necessary. You will be asked to enter the password, which is clearpath by default. Note that you may not see any feedback when typing the password (e.g. you will not see any * characters as you type). This is normal. Simply type the password and press the ENTER key.

After you've logged in​

After logging in you will see the robot's greeter page:

Welcome to Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS (GNU/Linux 6.8.0-58-generic x86_64)

 * Documentation:  https://help.ubuntu.com
 * Management:     https://landscape.canonical.com
 * Support:        https://ubuntu.com/pro

 System information as of Thu May  1 02:57:51 PM EDT 2025

  System load:  0.98               Temperature:             32.9 C
  Usage of /:   53.8% of 97.87GB   Processes:               259
  Memory usage: 15%                Users logged in:         1
  Swap usage:   0%                 IPv4 address for wlp2s0: 10.27.205.109


Expanded Security Maintenance for Applications is not enabled.

12 updates can be applied immediately.
To see these additional updates run: apt list --upgradable

2 additional security updates can be applied with ESM Apps.
Learn more about enabling ESM Apps service at https://ubuntu.com/esm


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                R O B O T I C S


Last login: Thu May  1 14:55:58 2025 from 10.30.15.89
robot@cpr-a300-0000:~$

Once you have logged-in you can type any valid bash commands followed by the ENTER key to execute them. See the official ROS docs and our ROS 2 cheat sheet for information on ROS specific commands.

File transfer via SFTP​

To transfer files to/from the robot, you must first

  1. Install an SFTP client on your computer. On Ubuntu the default file browser (nautilus) supports SFTP. On Windows or Linux you can install a third-party program like Filezilla.
  2. Connect your robot and laptop to the same wireless network or directly connect your laptop and robot via etheret.
  3. Determine the robot's IP address

SFTP on Ubuntu using Nautilus​

If you are using Ubuntu, you can simply open the file browser and press ctrl + L to open the location bar. Type

ssh://robot@192.168.131.1

and press ENTER to connect to the robot. (If you are connecting over wifi instead of the robot's ethernet port you will need to change the IP address from 192.168.131.1 to the robot's IP address on your wireless LAN.) You will be prompted to enter the password to log into the robot. Once you have done so you will be able to browse the files on the robot directly in your file browser and copy files to/from the robot.

SFTP in Nautilus

SFTP on Ubuntu or Windows using Filezilla​

If you are using Filezilla you should enter the following in the configuration area at the top of the screen:

  • Host: 192.168.131.1 if connecting over direct ethernet connection, otherwise the robot's IP address on your LAN
  • Username: robot
  • Password: clearpath by default
  • Port: 22 Then press the Quickconnect button.
SFTP in Filezilla

Filezilla will show the robot's filesystem on the right side of the window and your local filesystem on the left. You can copy files between the two by simply dragging files from one side to the other.

Changing the password​

Once you have logged in, you can change the robot user's password by running the command

passwd

You will be asked to enter the previous password, followed by the new password twice. While typing the password you may not see any feedback (e.g. no * characters as you type). This is normal.

Make sure to record your new password; Clearpath Robotics is not responsible for lost passwords and has no way to recover your password. If you change the password and can no longer log in you may need to reinstall the operating system to restore your robot.

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