--- title: Sharing Files & Devices weight: 6 prev: /docs/guide/host-actions/ cascade: type: docs --- # Sharing Files and Devices When conducting RF assessments with RF Swift, you'll need to exchange files between your host system and containers, as well as connect specialized hardware devices. This guide covers various file sharing methods and device binding techniques for common RF hardware. ## File Sharing Between Host and Container ### Directory Binding The most common way to share files is by binding a directory from your host system to a location within the container using the `-b` parameter with the `run` command. #### Basic Directory Sharing 1. First, create a directory on your host system: ```bash # Create a directory on your host mkdir -p ~/shared_data ``` 2. Start a container with this directory bound to a location inside the container: ```bash rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:telecom -n telecom_analysis -b ~/shared_data:/root/shared ``` This binds your host's `~/shared_data` directory to `/root/shared` inside the container. #### Multiple Directory Bindings You can bind multiple directories by separating them with commas: ```bash rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:sdr_full -n sdr_project \ -b ~/captures:/root/captures,~/scripts:/root/scripts,~/reports:/root/reports ``` {{< callout type="warning" >}} Always specify paths in the format `host_path:container_path`, and separate multiple bindings with commas. {{< /callout >}} #### Verifying Bindings The container summary will display all active bindings: ``` 🧊 Container Summary ╭────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╮ │ Container Name │ telecom_analysis │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ X Display │ :0 │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Shell │ /bin/zsh │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Privileged Mode │ true │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Network Mode │ host │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Image Name │ penthertz/rfswift:telecom │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Size on Disk │ 11150.42 MB │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Bindings │ /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix,/dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb, │ │ │ │ │ │ /home/user/shared_data:/root/shared │ ├─────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Extra Hosts │ pluto.local:192.168.2.1 │ ╰────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╯ ``` #### Adding Bindings to Existing Containers If you forgot to bind a directory when creating a container, you can add it later using the `bindings` command: ```bash rfswift bindings add -c telecom_analysis -s ~/new_data -t /root/new_data ``` ### Working with Shared Files Once your directories are bound, you can access them from within the container: ```bash # Inside the container cd /root/shared touch analysis_results.txt echo "Signal detected at 915MHz" > analysis_results.txt ``` The file will be immediately available on your host system at `~/shared_data/analysis_results.txt`. {{< callout type="info" >}} File changes are bidirectional and immediate. Any changes made on either the host or container side will be instantly visible on the other side. {{< /callout >}} ## Device Binding for RF Hardware Many RF tools require access to specific hardware devices. RF Swift makes it easy to bind these devices to your containers. ### Common RF Device Bindings | Device Type | Host Path | Container Path | Required Capabilities | |-------------|-----------|----------------|----------------------| | RTL-SDR | `/dev/bus/usb` | `/dev/bus/usb` | None | | HackRF | `/dev/bus/usb` | `/dev/bus/usb` | None | | Proxmark3 | `/dev/ttyACM0` | `/dev/ttyACM0` | None | | Bluetooth Adapters | `/dev/vhci` | `/dev/vhci` | `NET_ADMIN` | | Wi-Fi Adapters | `/dev/ttyUSB0` | `/dev/ttyUSB0` | `NET_ADMIN` | Most RF Swift images automatically bind common device paths, but you may need to add specific devices or additional bindings for specialized hardware. ### RFID Device Binding For Proxmark3 and similar RFID tools, you may need to bind specific device paths: ```bash # Default Proxmark3 device rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:rfid -n rfid_scanner -s /dev/ttyACM0:/dev/ttyACM0 # For multiple Proxmark3 devices rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:rfid -n multi_proxmark \ -s /dev/ttyACM0:/dev/ttyACM0,/dev/ttyACM1:/dev/ttyACM1 ``` ### Bluetooth Device Binding For Bluetooth scanning and analysis: ```bash rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:bluetooth -n bt_scanner \ -s /dev/vhci:/dev/vhci \ -a NET_ADMIN ``` {{< callout type="warning" >}} Bluetooth and Wi-Fi tools typically require the `NET_ADMIN` capability in addition to device bindings. Add this with the `-a NET_ADMIN` parameter. {{< /callout >}} ## Specialized Hardware Configuration ### Harogic Spectrum Analyzer Setup Harogic spectrum analyzers require calibration files to function properly. Here's how to configure a container for use with these devices: #### 1. Copy Calibration Files First, copy the calibration files from the provided USB to your host: ![Content of Harogic USB key](/images/docs/harogicusb.png "Content of Harogic USB key") ```bash # Copy from USB to host cp -R /media/username/37B6-82D6/CalFile ~/harogic_cal ``` #### 2. Bind Calibration Directory When creating your container, bind the calibration directory to the proper location: ```bash rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:sdr_light -n harogic_analysis \ -b ~/harogic_cal:/rftools/analysers/SAStudio4_x86_64_05_23_17_06/bin/CalFile ``` #### 3. Run SAStudio Once inside the container, you can run SAStudio with the calibration files properly configured: ```bash # Inside the container sastudio ``` ![Harogic device running with SaStudio](/images/docs/harogicsas.png "Harogic device running with SaStudio") #### Using Harogic with SDR++ To use Harogic devices with SDR++, copy the calibration files to the correct location: ```bash # Inside the container cp -R /rftools/analysers/SAStudio4_x86_64_05_23_17_06/bin/CalFile /usr/bin ``` Then launch SDR++: ```bash sdrpp ``` ![Running SDR++ with Harogic](/images/docs/harogicsdrpp.png "Running SDR++ with Harogic") ## Best Practices for File Sharing 1. **Use Consistent Directory Structures**: Create a standardized directory layout for your assessments to make file management easier 2. **Organize by Project**: Create separate shared directories for different projects or assessments 3. **Keep User Data Separate**: Use dedicated directories for user data, software configurations, and temporary files 4. **Bind Read-Only When Possible**: For reference data that shouldn't be modified, consider mounting as read-only 5. **Use Descriptive Container Names**: Name containers based on their purpose to easily identify bound directories later ## Troubleshooting ### Permission Issues If you experience permission errors when accessing shared directories: ```bash # On the host, ensure proper ownership sudo chown -R your_username:your_username ~/shared_data # Or make the directory world-writable (less secure) chmod -R 777 ~/shared_data ``` ### Missing Bindings If default bindings are missing, you can restore them while adding your custom bindings: ```bash rfswift run -i penthertz/rfswift:sdr_full -n sdr_analysis \ -b /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix,/dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb,~/my_data:/root/my_data ``` ## Next Steps Now that you understand how to share files and devices, you might want to create your own customized images: {{< cards >}} {{< card link="/docs/development/building-images/" title="Build Your Own Image" icon="beaker" subtitle="Become a master chef and create your own custom RF Swift images." >}} {{< /cards >}}