How to read raspbian files in windows?

[PaulBraspi]

Is there a way to save a file in raspbian so that I can read it from the SD in an XP machine?

(I don't know if it makes any difference, but I set up Raspbian from a NOOBS SD)

[FTrevorGowen]

Due to the fact that Windows (XP et al) does not understand most of the filesytem(s) on the SDHC card and can only "see" the first "FAT" partition, whilst it is possible to save and transfer (very small) text files via that "common area" there are better ways.
Perhaps the simplest is to just use a USB stick - they're "FAT" formatted by default and thus all of the space is available for either O.S. I usually use SFTP (port 22) transferring files via a Filezilla client when I'm booted up into XP on my netbook (or, also, into Ubuntu Linux since Filezilla is available for Linux too) but there are other FTP tools for virtually all O.S.'s . To read and edit Raspbian created textfiles under XP I suggest Notepad++ but, again, there are other "cross-platform" editors.
Trev.

[raspberrypivictim]

You can have a try on extfsd

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2fsd/files/

[redhawk]

Try DiskInternals Linux Reader - http://www.diskinternals.com/linux-reader/

Richard S.

[PaulBraspi]

Thanks guys! I'll be trying out all these options to see which one works best for me.

Trevor, you mentioned it was possible to do it directly for small text files in the 'common area'. That's exactly what I want to do! Can you give me some details on that?

[DeeJay]

Trevor, you mentioned it was possible to do it directly for small text files in the 'common area'. That's exactly what I want to do! Can you give me some details on that?

Not easily with a NOOBS installation. The 'common area' is not mounted and available to Raspbian by default. (That's to keep that area 'safe' because it contains the NOOBS recovery software.)

[RaTTuS]

winscp the file
run on windows and link to your RPi

[FTrevorGowen]

Trevor, you mentioned it was possible to do it directly for small text files in the 'common area'. That's exactly what I want to do! Can you give me some details on that?

Not easily with a NOOBS installation. The 'common area' is not mounted and available to Raspbian by default. (That's to keep that area 'safe' because it contains the NOOBS recovery software.)

@PaulBraspi, @DeeJay is correct w.r.t. NOOBS since, in order to provide a recovery option, its partition layout is somewhat "special" and similar to that found on notebooks and laptops where the O.S. has been pre-installed (and no recovery discs supplied).
However, even if you use a "directly written" O.S. image (via a *.img file) the (FAT formatted) /boot partition, visible to the Pi and Windows is only ~60Mb with a couple of Mb of "free space"! In principle, if you had access to another Linux box and a card reader to put your SDHC card in, it should be possible to re-arrange the partition layout (shrinking one partition, moving it, and then enlarging the the other etc.) with a tool like GParted, but, given all the other methods of transferring files between a Pi and a Windows (or other) PC, its not really worth the risk or effort.
Trev.

[PaulBraspi]

Trev,

2MB is plenty of space for what I need to do! I'm intending to use something like vi or leafpad to create '.txt' files of maybe 20kb, tops. So it sounds like I should switch to a regular *.img distro? Raspbian, or Arch or whatever you'd recommend? I'm not committed to any particular OS at the moment and I'm happy to experiment...

[Joe Schmoe]

I think it is clear to most of us that, if your machine is network connected, that this is a Bad Idea.

I.e., the only way it is likely to make sense to transfer files via the SD card is if your machine is off-network - no network connectivity at all. If this is the case, then of course, please ignore this post.

But if it is on-network - that is, if it would be possible to use any of the thousands of ways of transferring files via the network - then I think most of us are going to continue to "Why?" - why you want to do it the hard way...

[PaulBraspi]

Yes, it's off network. I'm sorry; I should have made that clear.

[FTrevorGowen]

Yes, it's off network. I'm sorry; I should have made that clear.

Fair enough. However you don't need a full network (eg. WiFi or ethernet cable, router, modem etc.) to get "network connectivity" .
If both your Pi and "other computer" have wired ethernet ports, just a short ethernet cable. If both only have USB (ie. you have a Model A Pi) USB-USB networking is possible: http://www.cpmspectrepi.webspace.virgin ... Cable.html (but slower).
Trev.

[W. H. Heydt]

When I need to transfer files between Linux (including Pis) and Windows, I use pscp from the Windows end. For the size files being discussed here (on the order of 20KB) it's probably faster than shutting down the PI, pulling the card, and setting up the access on the Windows system and then reversing the process and booting the Pi again.

Basically, get a file off the Pi...

Code: Select all

pscp -v <userid>@<IP addreess>:<path of file/name>  .

Assumes that you are in the directory you want to put the file. (Note the dot at the end. it's important. You can give the file a different name by using the file name instead of the dot.)

You'll need to download and install pscp (if you haven't already). And if you haven't grabbed PuTTY, do that as well while you're on the site to get pscp.

[Joe Schmoe]

Flinging network-based solutions at someone who has already stated that his machine(s) are off-network, is unlikely to be helpful.

I'm wondering if OP's situation is that he has a Windows-based system (in the Central Office, so to speak) and he has users in the field who send in their SD cards - for "downloading" to the central system.

[PaulBraspi]

I'm wondering if OP's situation is that he has a Windows-based system (in the Central Office, so to speak) and he has users in the field who send in their SD cards - for "downloading" to the central system.

In essence, yes!! This is exactly my situation.

I'm still trying to figure this out as I go along, but -- assuming I switch from NOOBS to booting Raspbian from a *.img -- then in effect I guess I'm asking how/where to write a small text file on a raspbian FAT partition so that I can subsequently read it on a Windows machine.

[AndrewS]

I guess I'm asking how/where to write a small text file on a raspbian FAT partition so that I can subsequently read it on a Windows machine.

Anywhere in /boot

[PaulBraspi]

All right! Great! I'll try that! Thanks!