iiab/roles/remoteit

Remote support of an Internet-in-a-Box using https://remote.it

Remote.it can be a great way to remotely support an Internet-in-a-Box (IIAB).

As of April 2022, 5 IIAB devices can be managed for free, and an unlimited number can be managed for $6/month.

For other approaches, please see http://FAQ.IIAB.IO -> "How can I remotely manage my Internet-in-a-Box?"

Getting Started

Create a remote.it account + consider its desktop application

1. Browse to https://remote.it (Web Portal) and sign up for an account.

2. Download the remote.it desktop application (e.g. for Windows, macOS or Linux) to your own laptop/computer — if you prefer this over the https://remote.it Web Portal and its mobile apps.

   COMPARISON: "The Desktop and CLI can [each] support both peer to peer connections and proxy connections [whereas] the Web Portal and API can only support proxy connections" according to https://docs.remote.it/software/device-package/usage

Install remote.it onto an IIAB + register it + authorize services/ports

1. Connect your IIAB device to the Internet.

2. If your IIAB software is already installed, run sudo iiab-remoteit then skip to Step 5. below.

3. If your IIAB software isn't yet installed, set remoteit_install and remoteit_enabled to True in its /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml

   Install IIAB software e.g. by running sudo iiab then follow any on-screen instructions — until "INTERNET-IN-A-BOX (IIAB) SOFTWARE INSTALL IS COMPLETE" eventually appears on screen.

   (This installs and enables the remote.it Device Package for your CPU and OS. This also installs the optional /usr/bin/remoteit command-line interface (CLI), which offers a few more features than the Device Package.)

4. To obtain your IIAB's 8-character remote.it claim code (allowing you to make a remote connection to this IIAB device) run:

   sudo grep claim /etc/remoteit/config.json
   

   The claim code must be used within 24 hours, per: https://docs.remote.it/device-package/installation#2.-update-your-package-manager-and-install

   If your claim code has expired, please run sudo iiab-remoteit just as in Step 2.

5. Submit the claim code within the remote.it desktop application on your own laptop/computer. Or if you prefer, do that by logging into their Web Portal at https://remote.it

   Either way, click on the '+' icon to enter the remote.it claim code (to register the IIAB device to your account) as shown in this screenshot: https://docs.remote.it/software/device-package/installation#3.-claim-and-register-the-device

6. Authorize services/ports (e.g. SSH, HTTP, etc) for your IIAB device, as shown in these screenshots: https://docs.remote.it/software/device-package/installation#4.-set-up-services-on-your-device

   SUMMARY: One or more remote.it "Services" need to be authorized (registered) to allow remote access to your IIAB device: 3600609926-Services

   EXAMPLES: SSH (port 22) and/or HTTP (port 80): 3600586039-Configuring-remoteit-Services-on-devices-with-remote-it-Desktop

How to I disable remote.it on my IIAB?

1. Run sudo nano /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml to set remoteit_enabled: False

2. Then run:

   cd /opt/iiab/iiab
   sudo ./runrole remoteit
   

Docs

• https://docs.remote.it
  • https://docs.remote.it/developer-tools/cli-usage
• https://support.remote.it
  • 3600034175-Getting-Started
  • 3600612282-Oops-I-cloned-an-SD-card-
  • 3600415909-Why-does-the-address-time-out-
  • 4422773654-Streamlined-installation-for-Linux-and-Raspberry-Pi-platforms
  • 3600516687-Updating-the-remoteit-or-connectd-packages-using-a-remote-it-SSH-connection
  • https://remote.it/resources/
  • https://remote.it/resources/blog/managing-device-access-with-remote-it/
• https://remote.it/legal/
  • https://remote.it/legal/fair-use-policy/

Known Issues

• 2021-10-27: This needs to be enhanced rather urgently, so remote.it also works when IIAB is installed on Raspberry Pi OS 11 (Bullseye), Ubuntu, Mint and Debian: #3006
• 2021-10-29: The above OS issues should be resolved by PR #3007, PR #3009 and PR #3010 — but this needs final testing! (Initial testing occurred on [1] 32-bit Raspberry Pi OS Lite on Raspberry Pi 4 and [2] Ubuntu Server 20.04 on x86_64 VM.)