Remote access and file transfer

Log in to the controller’s command line over SSH and copy files to and from it over SFTP.

  5 minute read  

The controller runs an SSHSecure Shell: an encrypted login to the command line of another computer, on port 22. server. With it you log in to the controller’s command line, for example to restart the application, and you copy files to and from it over SFTPSSH File Transfer Protocol: file transfer over the same encrypted SSH connection, with the same login. . Most tasks in this section start by logging in this way. You can also log in at the controller itself, with a screen and keyboard connected.

What you need

Setting Value
Host controller_ip_addressThe IP address of your controller. In most cases 192.168.2.100.
Port 22
User admin
Password The password of the admin account on your controller.

The admin account can run commands as administrator with sudo, which asks for the same password.

Log in and transfer files


Log in

  1. Open a terminal and type:

    ssh admin@controller_ip_address

  2. The first time, ssh asks whether you trust the controller’s key. Type yes and press Enter.

  3. Type the password of the admin account. The terminal shows nothing while you type.

  4. The prompt changes to the controller’s, for example mcx-intel:~$. Type exit to log out.

    Ubuntu terminal: ssh admin@192.168.2.100, the key fingerprint accepted with yes, the password prompt and the mcx-intel prompt

Transfer files

The Ubuntu file manager connects over SFTP itself; you need no extra program.

  1. In the file manager, click Other Locations.

  2. Under Connect to Server, type sftp://admin@controller_ip_addressThe IP address of your controller. In most cases 192.168.2.100..

  3. Click Connect.

    Ubuntu Files, Other Locations: sftp://admin@192.168.2.100/ under Connect to Server and the Connect button

  4. Type the password of the admin account and click Unlock. The controller’s files open like a folder on your PC.

    Ubuntu Files password prompt for the SFTP connection to the controller
Watch it as a video

Log in

Windows 10 and later have ssh built in. On older Windows, use a separate SSH program such as PuTTY.

  1. Press the Windows key, type cmd and press Enter.

  2. Type:

    ssh admin@controller_ip_address

  3. The first time, ssh asks whether you trust the controller’s key. Type yes and press Enter.

  4. Type the password of the admin account. The window shows nothing while you type.

  5. The prompt changes to the controller’s. Type exit to log out.

    Windows command prompt logged in to the controller over ssh

Transfer files

Use an SFTP program, for example FileZilla Client. The numbers in the screenshot match the steps.

  1. Download and install FileZilla Client.

  2. Open it.

  3. In Host:, type sftp://controller_ip_addressThe IP address of your controller. In most cases 192.168.2.100..

  4. In Username:, type admin.

  5. In Password:, type the password of the admin account.

  6. In Port:, type 22.

  7. Click Quickconnect. The first time, FileZilla asks whether you trust the controller’s key: click OK.

    FileZilla with Host, Username admin, Password, Port 22 and the Quickconnect button

The right-hand side now shows the files on the controller. Drag files between the two sides to copy them.


Log in

  1. Open Terminal and type:

    ssh admin@controller_ip_address

  2. The first time, ssh asks whether you trust the controller’s key. Type yes and press Enter.

  3. Type the password of the admin account. The terminal shows nothing while you type.

  4. The prompt changes to the controller’s. Type exit to log out.

    macOS Terminal logged in to the controller over ssh

Transfer files

Use an SFTP program, for example FileZilla Client.

  1. Download and install FileZilla Client.

  2. Open it.

  3. In Host:, type sftp://controller_ip_addressThe IP address of your controller. In most cases 192.168.2.100..

  4. In Username:, type admin.

  5. In Password:, type the password of the admin account.

  6. In Port:, type 22.

  7. Click Quickconnect.

    FileZilla on macOS with Host, Username admin, Password, Port 22 and the Quickconnect button

  8. The first time, FileZilla asks whether you trust the controller’s key. Click OK.

    FileZilla Unknown host key dialog with the OK button

The right-hand side now shows the files on the controller. Drag files between the two sides to copy them.

Host key warning

The first time you log in, your PC stores the controller’s host key: a fingerprint that proves it is the same controller next time. When the key changes, ssh refuses to connect and shows WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!. That happens after you reinstall MCX-RTOS, or when another controller takes the same address.

Terminal showing the warning REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED for the controller's address

When you know why the key changed, remove the old key from your PC and log in again. The command is the same on Ubuntu, Windows and macOS:

ssh-keygen -R controller_ip_address
ssh admin@controller_ip_address

ssh then asks you to accept the new key, as on the first login.

Log in without a password

On a Linux PC you can copy your public key to the controller, so that ssh no longer asks for the password. This assumes your public key is in ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub:

ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub admin@controller_ip_address

You type the password of the admin account once, to copy the key. After that, logging in no longer asks for it.