Transfer file over serial connection using Minicom

[eone]

Hi all
My environment are the following:

1. PC running Centos/Linux and Minicom
2. Headless and Keyboardless Raspberry Pi running Raspbian with no network TCP/IP connection

Objective:
How to transfer file using minicom from PC to Raspberry Pi

Failed Attempts:
I tried to transfer one image file using minicom's XMODEM from PC to Raspberry Pi by the following steps:

• I loaded the minicom on PC as root
  Connect the PC to Rpi using serial connection
  Login to RPi as pi user from PC host
  On PC host terminal, I entered: ]# sz -X softball.jpeg
  The message returned was:
  Give your local XMODEM receive command now.
  
  Then I went to RPi terminal and pressed Ctlr+A, Z, R, XMODEM and I entered softball.jpeg in the text field of the dialog box
  Subsequently, minicom printed the following messages
  
  rx: ready to receive softball.jpeg
  Retry 0: Got 07 sector header
  Retry 1: Got 07 sector header
  .....
  .....
  Retry 7: Got 07 sector header
  Retry 8: Got 07 sector header
  Retry 9: Got 07 sector header
  Blocks received: -1
  rx: softball.jpeg removed.
  Transfer incomplete
  READY: press any key to continue...

Can anyone show me the way to use minicom's XMODEM to transfer file from PC to Rpi?

Thanks in advance for reading this post.

[joan]

Can't help with that apart from saying perhaps a binary mode needs to be set at one or both ends. I'm not familiar with xmodem.

If it's a one off you could just do the transfer from the terminal on either end.

On the Pi

cat </dev/ttyAMA0 >file.jpg

On the PC

copy /b file.jpg com1:

When the transfer completes at the PC end wait a second and press ctrl c at the Pi end.

You will need to ensure compatible baud rates

stty -F /dev/ttyAMA0 9600 # Pi

Some sort of mode command at the PC .

[topguy]

Maybe try commanline versions of zmodem with the package "lrzsz".

[eone]

Maybe try commanline versions of zmodem with the package "lrzsz".

Hi topguy

Is the lrzsz already pre-installed in RPi?

[topguy]

I dont know.. but very good point since you said the Pi was offline... so bad advice.

EDIT:
But... on the other hand you can download the package here: http://archive.raspbian.org/raspbian/po ... _armhf.deb

Either put it on the SD card with your linux-box or put it on a memory stick.

Install it with:

Code: Select all

dpkg -i lrzsz_0.12.21-7_armhf.deb

I hope it hasn't any dependencies.

[klricks]

Are you using a GPIO to RS232 adapter or USB to RS232?
If GPIO then have you reconfigured the serial port to work as a standard serial port?
Can you type characters from /to the RPi and PC without error?

You may need to use the -b switch for binary files, both on the send and receive.
http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~rootd/catdoc/g ... tml#SEC238

What is the path where the file is saved? You may not have permissions set correctly?
Can you transfer a file from RPi to PC?
You can try HyperTermiala on PC if you have XP or below.

[eone]

I dont know.. but very good point since you said the Pi was offline... so bad advice.

EDIT:
But... on the other hand you can download the package here: http://archive.raspbian.org/raspbian/po ... _armhf.deb

Either put it on the SD card with your linux-box or put it on a memory stick.

Install it with:

Code: Select all

dpkg -i lrzsz_0.12.21-7_armhf.deb

I hope it hasn't any dependencies.

I followed your suggestion and fortunately package lrzsz_0.12.21-7_armhf.deb does not have dependencies. So I attempted the following steps and it worked:

1. I loaded the minicom on PC as root
2. Connect the PC to RPi using USB-Serial connection
3. Login to RPi as pi user from PC host's minicom
4. Install lrzsz package in RPi
5. Type

   Code: Select all

   ~$ rz

6. RPi display:

   Code: Select all

   <some junk characters> Waiting to receive <some junk characters>

7. In minicom, pressed Ctlr+A, Z, S, ZMODEM
8. Choose softball.jpeg

Subsequently, minicom printed the following messages:

Code: Select all

Sending: softball.jpeg                                       |                      
�CCB0100|Bytes Sent:   7424   BPS:2755                                |                      
         |Sending:                                                     |                      
         |Ymodem sectors/kbytes sent:   0/ 0k                          |                      
         |Transfer complete

So I learned that to transfer file from PC to RPi over serial console using minicom's zmodem protocol, I need to have rz running on RPi.

[John356]

I use this script for xmodem transfer as I can manually send or automate full process : Xmodem using minicom