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Max Dax avatar Ubuntu

How to Headless Install Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop Environment for the Raspberry Pi 4 using UART Pins (TTL to USB Serial Port)

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Max Dax

I want to install Ubuntu onto my Raspberry Pi 4 using the desktop release build, not the server release build, because I do not have the time for the Pi to install all the huge packages and massive downloads via the internet for the desktop environment when using the server release build.

Now with that said, Ubuntu made it extremely difficult for raspberry pi users to enable SSH-server on the desktop build since it does not come with it. Yes, ubuntu expects pi users to hook up a monitor, keyboard and mouse for the first installation or use the server release build.

Theres a tutorial on how to use the Pi's UART interface and connect the pins to a TTL to USB converter and this will allow users to communicate with the raspberry Pi without all the hassle of a monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Here is the link to the tutorial: https://limesdr.ru/en/2020/10/17/rpi4-headless-ubuntu/

This actually works, (Thank Goodness). But the problem is the tutorial is for Ubuntu Mate and not for Ubuntu 20.04, and now I can not figure out the user login and password when I am on the serial console communicating with the Pi 4.

I tried all kinds of passwords and logins and none of them works. Maybe I am doing something wrong? I read that there is no login and password for Ubuntu installation Live CD system. If this is the case, then why is the serial console keep asking for one and rejecting all the common credentials? I downloaded the 20.04 desktop build straight from Ubuntu's website for Raspberry Pi. Here is the link: https://ubuntu.com/download/raspberry-pi

I included a picture of where I get stuck with the Ubuntu installation login via Serial Console.

Any advice or help would be great to get this working. Thanks.

User Login on TTL - Picture

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kn flag
NickT
Surely the desktop comes with sshd, which is the ssh daemon, giving the same functionality as ssh-server?
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Max Dax avatar
sg flag
Max Dax
The desktop version comes with SSH client not SSH server. In order for a user to login into the raspberry pi 4 they would require to use a Monitor, keyboard and mouse or they can use the UART pins on the Raspberry Pi 4 to communicate to the Pi 4 via TTL to USB converter device which is extremely convenient but there is no good documentation on how to accomplish it.
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kn flag
NickT
I log into all my headless pi zeros (with running /Raspberry Pi OS Lite) via wifi from my PC, All that is necessary is to prepare a wpa_supplicant.conf with the right password and drop it into tthe boot directory along with an ssh file. See https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/wireless/wireless-cli.md
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kn flag
NickT
And https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/configuration/wireless/headless.md
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Max Dax avatar
sg flag
Max Dax
The Raspberry OS comes with built in SSH Server it is a different distro from Ubuntu 20.04.
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