FTP into HAAS -- can't write configuration.yaml

Configuration
1

Setting this up and learning as I go. I have Filezilla and I am FTP’ing into HA and using Textwrangler to edit the configuration.yaml file, but when I try to upload/save changes to the file I am told I do not have permission to write.

I am logging into sftp://[local.ip] user:pi pwd: xxxxx port:22.

I would login as root, but I have no idea what the default root password on my RPI would be.

2

Are you running Hassbian? If so, there’s an additional user called “homeassistant” which actually owns the file, so “pi” doesn’t have access to it.

3

Great! What’s the default password?

4

There isn’t a password set, so you can’t FTP in to edit it using homeassistant. You have 3 options here (in order of recommendation):

  1. SSH into the Pi using the pi user. Then, run sudo su - homeassistant to switch to the homeassistant user, where you can use nano or vi to edit the file. (Most recommended solution)
  • Or, you can just run sudo nano [path to file] as pi any time you want to edit the file, which will just use a sudo to root to edit the file.
  1. Figure out how to tell your FTP client to use the SCP protocol and force it to run sudo su. (I’ve honestly never done this before)
    Permission to edit/overwrite the configuration.yaml file
  2. Change permission on the file to allow the group homeassistant to edit the file
    Can't Edit Configuration.YAML - Permission

You should definitely do the first one if possible.

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5

I’ve been using method 1, but I prefer the ease of Text Wrangler. I will try option 3 and get back to the group.

Thanks for your help!

6

You could also use atom+remote-atom or TextMate+rmate to ssh into the pi but edit the files in a text editor on your desktop.

7

You could also use WinSCP which will handle file management as well as editing. You can set it up to go into SU mode when it connects by following my post here:

WinSCP would be a great solution for you if you are a Filezilla user as the layout and concepts are the same, it just uses a different protocol (SCP vs FTP).

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