How to share files between two Ubuntu computers

Method 1: use ssh

1. Install ssh in the two ubuntu computers

For Ubuntu 12.04:
$ sudo apt-get install openssh-server

For Ubuntu 8.10:
$ sudo apt-get install ssh

For Ubuntu 8.04:
$ sudo apt-get install openssh-server openssh-client

2. Find out your IP address
Right-click the network-manager applet on the top panel and choose “connection information”

3. Connect
Go to “Places -> Connect to Server”.

* If the Host key verification failed, you need to delete the file "known_hosts" at: /home/user*/.ssh/

Method 2: use giver

Giver allows you to drag and drop files to users on your network. It will also automatically detect other Giver users on your network.

When you drag a file, or multiple files, to a user represented by an avatar on the Giver window, the files are automatically transferred. The recipient of the files is warned that a user wishes to send files. The user can accept or decline them.

To install giver in ubuntu:
sudo apt-get install giver

To enable remote access to your home desktop

1. Enable a service on our home machine.

sudo apt-get install openssh-server

2. to register a domain name at, or

3. Use inadyn software to set the domain to be automatically updated with the proper IP address.

sudo apt-get install inadyn

Configure indadya:

--username xxx
--password xxxxx
update_period 60000
--iterations 1

to have inadyn update my address once an hour. This can be done by running:

crontab -e

The line in my crontab file looks like this:

2 * * * * /usr/sbin/inadyn > /home/jesse/inadyn-status.txt

4. Open a port in our firewall.
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp

For detailed instruction, see this article:

Great Idea

Thanks. I was going nuts how to send a couple of files to my other computer downstairs. Your idea worked like a charm.

As Noob as they get !!

Wow. Thank you so much. I was able to create the shares with Samba/Nautilas for other Windows users to share files, but I was going crazy trying to connect my 2 Linux boxes together !!! This made my day, and was so easy for even me to understand. Thanks again!

Bookmark in Dolphin


Thank you, that was straight forward thanks to your tutorial.
I managed to do that in Nautilus but is there a way to open that folder in Dolphin and bookmark it so I do not have to fill the little form each time?



Using SSH to connect two computers

You are obviously very intelligent. I spent ages trying to find out how to do this.

Giver - sending folders

You must drag-and-drop to send a folder. It seems to handle folders within folders well, including very large ones. (distro Ubuntu 10.04)

How secure is this? I just

How secure is this?
I just did this between two ubuntu pcs in the same room and did not realize it was dependent on the internet connection until I disconnected the cable modem.
Is there a way to do this simply through the router without going God knows where just to connect to a computer in the same room.

It is secure

It is secure:

1. Your IP addresses are not accessible by internet users.
2. Even you use fix IP, it requires passwords to access.

you are the best

Tank you.

Sharing files over the Internet

Does this work outside the Local Area Network? Say I use a static IP service (such as no-ip) on one of my machines, will this method work that way? Or, does it only work in a LAN?


Thank you for this simple illustration of how to share files between two ubuntu computers. I have been looking for this for several weeks. I ran into all kind of fourms explaining how to edit various files and use other complicated commands. As a non-technical computer user I have been overwhelmed. It is amazing that this is so simple, yet others have made it sound so complicated. It works great!