Alibaba Cloud CLI is a general-purpose command-line tool that is developed based on Alibaba Cloud API. You can use Alibaba Cloud CLI to interact with Alibaba Cloud services and manage your Alibaba Cloud services by using a shell tool.
What is CLI?
CLI is a user interface (UI) that allows users to interact with computers by using text commands. Users can directly enter commands in the CLI to perform operations without using a GUI. CLI is used in multiple fields, including system management, software development, and network configuration. In the computer field, CLI is widely used for various operating systems and software tools.
What is Alibaba Cloud CLI?
Alibaba Cloud CLI is a general-purpose command-line tool that is developed based on the Alibaba Cloud API. You can use Alibaba Cloud CLI to interact with Alibaba Cloud services and manage your Alibaba Cloud services by using a shell tool.
Linux Shell: In the Linux or macOS operating system, common shells, such as
bash,zsh, andtcsh, are used to run commands.Windows CLI: In the Windows operating system, you can use the Command Prompt or PowerShell to run commands.
Remote operation: You can use Alibaba Cloud CloudShell to run commands, or use a remote terminal, such as SSH, to run commands by using Elastic Compute Service (ECS) instances.
You can also use Alibaba Cloud CLI to develop the shell script to implement automatic management and maintenance on Alibaba Cloud services. Before you use Alibaba Cloud CLI, make sure that your Alibaba Cloud service is activated and that you understand how to use the Alibaba Cloud service API.
If you have questions, submit a ticket for technical support or submit feedback in GitHub Issue.
Differences between Alibaba Cloud CLI and Alibaba Cloud service CLI
Alibaba Cloud CLI is a general-purpose command-line tool provided by Alibaba Cloud. You can use Alibaba Cloud CLI to manage Alibaba Cloud services. Alibaba Cloud CLI is integrated with the features of more than 100 Alibaba Cloud services, such as Elastic Compute Service (ECS), ApsaraDB(RDS), and Server Load Balancer (SLB).
Alibaba Cloud service CLI is a command-line tool dedicated to a specific Alibaba Cloud service, such as Simple Log Service CLI. Alibaba Cloud service CLI provides specialized and customized features for the Alibaba Cloud service. This meets the specific requirements of the Alibaba Cloud service. These features may include dedicated configuration options, specific operations, and performance optimization.
Features
Cloud resource management
Alibaba Cloud CLI is a management tool developed based on Alibaba Cloud API. You can call API operations of various Alibaba Cloud services by using the CLI. This way, you can manage and maintain your cloud resources without logging on to consoles.
Multi-service integration
Alibaba Cloud CLI is integrated with more than 100 Alibaba Cloud services such as Elastic Compute Service (ECS), ApsaraDB(RDS), and Server Load Balancer (SLB). You can configure and manage multiple Alibaba Cloud services by using a single command line to implement multi-service integration.
Multi-account support
Alibaba Cloud CLI supports multiple accounts. You can define different accounts in a CLI tool and grant specific execution permissions to accounts to meet the requirements of hierarchical permission control.
Automatic command completion
Automatic command completion is supported in Linux and macOS operating systems. This feature allows you to easily perform operations without memorizing complex service commands. The bash and zsh shells are supported.
Multiple output formats
Alibaba Cloud CLI provides multiple output formats to facilitate code viewing and collaborative coding. The JSON and table formats are supported. You can use an output format based on your business requirements.
Online help
Alibaba Cloud CLI provides online help. You can use the help command to see what are the currently available operations and the parameter information available for the current operation.
Multi-system support
You can install and use Alibaba Cloud CLI in multiple operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
References
For more information about Alibaba Cloud CLI and Alibaba Cloud API, see the following topics: