balena

Log in to the balenaCloud account

$ balena login

$ balena app create [app_name]

$ balena apps

$ balena devices

$ balena local flash [path/to/balenaos.img] --drive [drive_location]

balena <command> [<options>]

--help
    Show help for command

--version
    Display CLI version

--verbose, -v
    Increase output verbosity (repeatable)

--debug
    Enable debug logging

--json
    Output in JSON format

--api-host <host>
    Set custom API host (default: balena-cloud.com)

--token <token>
    Provide authentication token

--curl
    Print equivalent curl command

--nocache
    Bypass build cache

--nogithub
    Disable GitHub update checks

Balena CLI is the official command-line interface for the Balena IoT platform, enabling developers to manage devices, deploy applications, and automate workflows for edge computing projects.

It supports creating and organizing applications (fleets of devices), building containerized apps with Docker, pushing releases over-the-air (balena push), monitoring live device status, retrieving logs, and remote SSH access. Bulk operations like moving devices between fleets or generating tunnel connections are streamlined.

Ideal for CI/CD integration, Balena CLI handles authentication via tokens, API interactions with BalenaCloud (or self-hosted), and local development with balena dev. Verbose logging and JSON output aid debugging. Requires Node.js; install globally with npm i -g balena-cli, then balena login.

Used by thousands for Raspberry Pi, Jetson, and other SBCs running BalenaOS, it abstracts complex IoT ops into intuitive commands.

Requires Node.js/npm; most commands need balena login. Not available in standard distro repos. Rate-limited on free BalenaCloud plans.
Deprecated options like --api-key may warn.

npm install -g balena-cli; update with npm update -g balena-cli.

login/logout, push/deploy, logs/ssh, apps/devices, key for fleet ops.

Persistent settings via balena config; supports multiple profiles.

Developed by Balena.io (formerly Resin.io); CLI launched ~2015 as resin, rebranded to balena in 2019. Actively maintained with frequent updates for new OS features and cloud APIs.

docker(1), ssh(1), npm(1), git(1)