ipmitool

Start the IPMI driver for local connections

$ systemctl start ipmidrv

$ sudo ipmitool shell

$ ipmitool -H [ip_address] -U [username] shell

ipmitool [options] command

ipmitool provides a command-line interface to the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI). IPMI enables out-of-band management of servers, including power control, hardware monitoring, and remote console access.
Common operations include checking sensor readings (temperatures, voltages, fan speeds), controlling power state, and accessing the serial console over the network. IPMI works independently of the main operating system.

-H HOST

Remote host IP address or hostname

Remote username

Remote password (or use -E to read from environment)

Interface type: open, lan, lanplus

Interactive IPMI shell

Display sensor information

Chassis commands (power, status, identify)

Configure LAN settings

User management commands

Serial-over-LAN commands

IPMI access requires proper BMC configuration. Network access uses UDP ports 623 (IPMI) and may require firewall rules. lanplus interface provides encrypted communication. Local access requires the ipmi kernel modules.

IPMI was developed by Intel, HP, NEC, and Dell starting in 1998. ipmitool became the standard open-source tool for IPMI management on Linux systems, supporting both local and remote operations.

ipmi-sensors(8), ipmi-chassis(8), bmc-info(8)