USB over IP
Step 1: Setting up the USB/IP Server on the Raspberry Pi
First, SSH into your Raspberry Pi or Linux server and update the package list by running:
sudo apt-get update
Next, install the usbip package, which contains the necessary tools to set up a USB/IP server:
sudo apt-get install usbip
Once installed, use the lsusb command to list all connected USB devices. This will output a list, with each device on a separate line, displaying the bus number and device ID:
lsusb
Identify the USB device that you wish to share. It will have a format like Bus XXX Device XXX: ID YYYY:ZZZZ. Note down the ID YYYY:ZZZZ of your device.
You will then bind your USB device to the usbip-host driver. Replace BUSID with your device's bus number and device ID in the following command:
sudo usbip bind --busid=BUSID
Finally, to start sharing the USB device, start the USB/IP system daemon and bind the USB device:
sudo usbipd -D
This starts the USB/IP host daemon, which will listen for incoming connections from USB/IP clients.
Step 2: Setting up the USB/IP Client
On the client computer, first update the package list and then install the necessary software using the following commands:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install linux-tools-generic usbip
Next, load the vhci-hcd kernel module. This is the virtual host controller driver for the USB/IP client:
sudo modprobe vhci-hcd
Finally, connect to the USB/IP server and attach the shared USB device. Replace SERVERIP with the IP address of your Raspberry Pi and BUSID with the bus ID of the USB device that you're sharing:
sudo usbip attach --remote=SERVERIP --busid=BUSID
Congratulations! You have successfully set up the USB/IP client. The client machine should now be connected to the shared USB device as if it was directly connected. Use lsusb on the client machine to verify that your device is correctly attached.
Conclusion and Troubleshooting
With your Raspberry Pi set up as a USB-over-IP server, you can now share USB devices over your network. While this guide should cover the basics, your specific scenario may require additional steps or tweaks. It's important to understand the basics of Linux system administration to troubleshoot any issues you may encounter.
For instance, if you're unable to see the shared USB device on the client machine, ensure that your firewall isn't blocking the necessary ports and that you have correctly entered the server IP and bus ID. Also, the USB/IP project's GitHub repository and the various Linux community forums are excellent resources if you encounter any issues.
Sharing USB devices across the network can be incredibly useful, from remotely accessing storage devices to sharing printers or even dongles. We hope this comprehensive guide has been a valuable resource as you set up your Raspberry Pi or Linux server as a USB-over-IP server!
Copied from https://fleetstack.io/blog/how-to-setup-a-raspberry-pi-as-a-usb-over-ip-server-a-comprehensive-guide
