How to connect PC to my Nokia N900 over WIFI?

Did you know that almost every command you type in X-term can be typed in remotely from your computer (via PUTTY), saving you finger pain It is also possible to use a ‘windows explorer’ like experience (WinSCP) to copy/move files from your computer to your Nokia N900 and vice versa without the use of a USB cable. In fact WinSCP can be used to manage your files better on your N900.

All you need is a mini app called Open SSH installed on your Nokia N900 and WinSCP on your computer. Click the Open SSH link above or download it from your Application Manager.
(edit: 19/05/2011) – What is SSH? Wikipedia says the following;
Secure Shell or SSH is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged using a secure channel between two networked devices. The two major versions of the protocol are referred to as SSH1 or SSH-1 and SSH2 or SSH-2. Used primarily on Linux and Unix based systems to access shell accounts, SSH was designed as a replacement for Telnet and other insecure remote shells, which send information, notably passwords, in plaintext, rendering them susceptible to packet analysis.^[2] The encryption used by SSH is intended to provide confidentiality and integrity of data over an unsecured network, such as the Internet.
NB: You must have a WIFI router and your Nokia N900 needs to be connected to your home or work network via WIFI. Remember every device connected to your WIFI network has an IP address and your N900 is no different. Below are the steps for setting up Open SSH, finding out your N900′s IP address and configuring WinSCP to access your Nokia N900. This only needs to occur once.

1. Once Open SSH is installed, it will prompt you for a password, so type one in and remember it.
2. Install WinSCP on your laptop or computer. Follow the default prompts.
3. Open X-term on your Nokia N900.
   1. Gain root by typing “sudo gainroot”.
   2. Type the following line to determine what your IP address is for your Nokia N900:
      ?

      1	ifconfig wlan0

   3. A bit of information appears on the screen showing your MAC address and IP Address.
      
   4. Note your IP address (inet addr:) down – In my example, the IP address is 192.168.0.9
4. Close X-Term on Nokia N900.
5. Open WinSCP on your laptop or computer.
   1. Click the New button. (This will allow you to create a shortcut).
   2. Host Name = the IP address (e.g. 192.168.0.9).
   3. User Name = root
   4. Password = (the password you chose in step 1).
   5. Port Number = 22.
   6. Protocol or File Protocol = SFTP
   7. Allow SCP Fallback by checking the box.
      
   8. Click the Save button and replace the words “root@192.168.0.9″ with a proper name e.g. Nokia N900.
      
   9. Check the box that says “Save password (not recommended), unless of course you are happy to type in your password each time.
   10. With  the Shortcut created, you can now setup the default directory one will enter in when you log into your Nokia N900. Click on Edit and select the Directories from the left hand menu.
   11. Your default folder on your N900 is /home/user/MyDocs
   12. Your default folder on your PC or laptop can be any defined location. (I have created a folder called My Nokia N900 so in the screenshot example this is where it defaults to everytime I load up WinSCP).
   13. I switched off “Remember last used directory” because I want to default to /home/user/MyDocs
   14. The other choices or checkboxes are personal preference.
       
   15. Click  Save.
   16. Highlight your newly created shortcut and click on Login. (Next time this is all you will have to do).
   17. You’ll be logged into your Nokia N900 on the right pane and your computer on the left pane.
   18. Now you are free to copy, move files from one side to the other and vice versa. WinSCP is very similar to Norton Commander. E.g. if one highlights a file in /home/user/MyDocs all the available commands appear at the bottom of the screen.
   19. Basic WinSCP Commands are as follows:
       1. Double clicking on the .. takes one back a folder.
       2. Clicking on the bar that says Name will filter the list in alphabetical order.
       3. There are icons at the top of the page very similar to Windows Explorer.
       4. One can also right click to see a context menu.
       5. F2 = Rename a folder or file.
       6. F5 = Copy (if you highlight a file or folder on the right side and press F5, the file or folder will be copied to the left hand side and vice versa).
       7. F6 = Move.
       8. F7 = Create a folder.
       9. F8 = Delete a folder.
   20. Other things to take note of:
       1. Hidden folders are greyed out (E.g. see folder in /home/user/MyDocs that start with .images, they are slightly greyed out. Normally these folders are not visible in your basic file manager on the Nokia N900, it’s so you don’t delete them by mistake).
   21. To type commands as if one were typing in X-term, one can load up PUTTY. Do this by press CTRL+T or by going to the Commands menu and selecting “Open in Putty“.
       
   22. This will open a terminal screen very similar to what one sees on your Nokia N900 and from here you can run anything you would have run in X-Term. As an example I have run the same command I ran on my Nokia N900 at the beginning of this tutorial to display my IP Address. You’ll see the exact same results.
       
   23. One last thing and it is to do with security and peace of mind. If you want to quickly disable SSH on your Nokia N900, then there is another great little app called “SSH Status and Switcher” (click link to download) or download it from the Application Manager. Once installed, click on the notification menu. You will see it on one of the lines showing a status. If it is showing ON, tapping it will STOP SSH and a SSH stopped message will appear. Repeat steps to switch it back on.

credit to http://www.mynokian900.com/2011/05/how-to-connect-pc-to-my-nokia-n900-over-wifi