Written 30 Aug 2026. This is a how-to, not a product card.

Encode a file so you can paste it

After SSH works, turn a file into pasteable text with base64 so you can copy small text without a USB stick. You don't need a zip app for this.

Sometimes you want to paste a small file as text, without a USB stick. Tonight you encode a file as text: base64. Base64 turns bytes into pasteable text, and back. Start with a tiny practice file in home. You are still only practicing on the computer. It does not need a zip app for this one job.

Skip until SSH already works

SSH from the couch should already get you a prompt. If pieces for a paste limit are what you want, that is split a file into smaller pieces. If shrink is what you want, that is shrink one file. If one file from the laptop is what you want, that is copy a file to the computer from your laptop.

What this is

base64 encodes a file so you can paste it. You type base64 ~/paste-me.txt. Text comes back. Decode with base64 -d. -w 0 means one long line, no wrap. Tonight: a tiny file, not a disk image. It is not gzip. Gzip shrinks. It is not split. Split cuts into pieces.

Practice base64 in home

SSH in. Make sure home is where you sit:

pwd

You want a path that ends in your login name. If not:

cd ~

Make a tiny practice file:

printf 'hello\n' > ~/paste-me.txt

cat ~/paste-me.txt

Encode:

base64 ~/paste-me.txt

Save the encoded text:

base64 ~/paste-me.txt > ~/paste-me.b64

cat ~/paste-me.b64

Decode it back:

base64 -d ~/paste-me.b64 > ~/paste-me-out.txt

cat ~/paste-me-out.txt

You want the same hello line. That is enough for tonight. Practice only in home.

Debian and Ubuntu usually already have base64. Don't make apt the job. If base64 is missing:

sudo apt install coreutils

Then stop. That install is not the lesson.

When you are done, throw the practice files away. Careful delete only. That is delete a file carefully. Skip rm -rf.

rm -i ~/paste-me.txt ~/paste-me.b64 ~/paste-me-out.txt

Useful extras, still home only

Optional: one long line, no wrap:

base64 -w 0 ~/paste-me.txt

Optional facts on the encoded file:

stat ~/paste-me.b64

Skip huge dumps and whole disks. Tonight: a tiny practice file.

What this is not

This is not split. That is split a file into smaller pieces. It is not gzip. That is shrink one file. It is not tar. That is pack files into one archive. It is not scp. That is copy a file to the computer from your laptop. It is not echo. That is put a short line into a file. It is not opening SSH to the internet. That is keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.

What next

Need pieces? Split a file into smaller pieces. Need shrink? Shrink one file. Need one file from the laptop? Copy a file to the computer from your laptop. Keep SSH on the house network: keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.

Skip

Skip if SSH still fails. Finish SSH from the couch first.
Skip huge dumps and whole disks. Tonight: a tiny practice file.
Skip gzip, tar, split, and scp as tonight's job. Those pages already exist.
Skip files under /etc, SSH folders, or paths you don't own. Practice only in home.
Skip rm -rf. Careful delete only: delete a file carefully.
Skip opening SSH to the internet so you can do this from a coffee shop. That is keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.

Sources

Debian: base64. Ubuntu: base64. GNU coreutils: base64 invocation. Official pages only. For the login, see SSH from the couch. For pieces, see split a file into smaller pieces.

Also on this topic

SSH from the couchType commands on the computer from your laptop, on the house network. Password login first. Don't open this to the internet. Run one command per lineAfter SSH works, run one command once per line with xargs so a list drives many short jobs. You don't need a scripting app for this. Shrink one fileAfter SSH works, shrink one file with gzip so a copy is smaller. You don't need a zip app for this. Pack files into one archiveAfter SSH works, pack files into one archive with tar so you can copy one file instead of a folder. You don't need a zip app for this. Copy a file to the computer from your laptopAfter SSH works, use scp to move one file without a USB stick. You don't need a NAS for this. Download a file onto the computerAfter SSH works, pull one file from a web address with curl. You don't need a browser on the computer for this. Put a short line into a fileAfter SSH works, put one short line into a file with echo so you don't need to open nano. You don't need a file manager for this. Read a file without opening the editorAfter SSH works, print a file with cat so you can read it without opening nano. Short files only. You don't need a file viewer for this. Check a file fingerprintAfter SSH works, check a file with sha256sum so you know it still matches the fingerprint you expected. You don't need a download manager for this. Split a file into smaller piecesAfter SSH works, split one file into smaller pieces with split so a paste or copy fits size limits. You don't need a zip app for this. Turn off password login once the key worksAfter the laptop key login is boring, tell SSH to stop accepting the password. The key is how you get in. A keyboard on the computer is the backup now. Keep the computer on the house networkSSH and Pi-hole belong on the house network. Skip this if you never opened the router settings. Don't forward port 22.