If you’re new to Raspberry Pi, you’ll probably find it easiest to connect using a remote desktop.

But for many users, connecting via SSH is preferable.

In this guide, you’ll learn about SSH and how to use it to run terminal commands on your Raspberry Pi from your laptop.

What is SSH?

SSH stands for “secure shell” and is a method of connecting two devices. In this case, you’ll be using SSH to communicate with your Raspberry Pi from your computer.

When on the same network, this is easily accomplished in a few steps.

Enable SSH on your Pi

The first step is to enable SSH access on your Pi. To do this, visit the Raspberry Pi Configuration menu found under Preferences.

Then open the Interfaces tab and click the Enable option for SSH.

With SSH enabled, you’re now free to connect.

Connect with SSH

To connect to your Pi, you’ll use the following command:

ssh pi@YOUR.IP.ADDRESS

Replace YOUR.IP.ADDRESS with your Pi’s IP address.

You can find your Pi’s IP address by running the following command from its terminal:

hostname -I

Make sure you use an uppercase “I” or you may not get the Pi’s true IP address.

Running with the IP example from the screenshot above, the command to connect would be:

ssh pi@192.168.1.17

You’ll be asked for a password before you can connect. This is the password you created when initially setting up your Pi. In case you forgot it, you can change it any time from the configuration menu.

Once you enter your password, you’ll be connected.

Try remote desktop access

Connecting via SSH is incredibly useful. However, there may be times when you want to view the interface. For beginner Pi users, this is often a lot easier.

You can follow along with this guide to learn how to do that:

How to Connect Your Raspberry Pi to Your Laptop Using a Remote Desktop

Thanks for reading! If you have any trouble, feel free to leave a comment below.