Linode CLI Skill

The official command-line interface for Linode/Akamai cloud infrastructure. Provides easy access to Linode API endpoints directly from the terminal for managing compute instances, Kubernetes clusters, volumes, networking, DNS, and more.

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be triggered when:

Managing Linode compute instances (creating, listing, updating, deleting Linodes)
Working with Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE) clusters and node pools
Configuring DNS domains and records through Linode's DNS Manager
Managing Block Storage volumes and volume attachments
Setting up NodeBalancers and networking infrastructure
Automating Linode operations in scripts or CI/CD pipelines
Learning Linode CLI commands and API interactions
Debugging Linode CLI issues or authentication problems
Formatting CLI output (JSON, tables, custom fields)

Key Concepts

CLI Architecture

Auto-generated from OpenAPI: The CLI is automatically generated from Linode's OpenAPI specification, providing direct access to all API endpoints
Python-based: Built with Python 3.10+, installed via pip

Command structure:

linode-cli <resource> <action> [options]

Authentication: Uses API tokens stored in configuration or environment variables

Core Resources

linodes: Compute instances (virtual machines)
lke: Linode Kubernetes Engine clusters
domains: DNS domain management
volumes: Block Storage volumes
nodebalancers: Load balancers
regions: Available data center locations
images: OS images and custom images

Output Formatting

Default: Organized tables with key information
--json: Raw JSON output for scripting
--pretty: Formatted JSON with indentation
--format: Custom field selection
--all: Show all available fields

Quick Reference

Installation and Setup

bash

# Install via pip
pip3 install linode-cli

# First-time configuration (interactive)
linode-cli configure

# Set API token via environment
export LINODE_CLI_TOKEN=your_api_token_here

Getting Help

bash

# View all available commands
linode-cli --help

# View help for specific resource
linode-cli linodes --help

# View help for specific action
linode-cli linodes create --help

# List all available regions
linode-cli regions list

# List all available images
linode-cli images list

Listing Resources

bash

# List all Linodes on your account
linode-cli linodes list

# List domains
linode-cli domains list

# List volumes
linode-cli volumes list

# List Kubernetes clusters
linode-cli lke clusters-list

# Format output with custom fields
linode-cli linodes list --format "id,label,status,region"

# Output as JSON
linode-cli linodes list --json

# Output all available fields
linode-cli linodes list --all

Creating Compute Instances

bash

# Create a basic Linode (uses defaults from config)
linode-cli linodes create \
  --type g6-standard-2 \
  --region us-east \
  --image linode/debian11 \
  --label my-server \
  --root_pass "SecurePassword123!"

# Create with specific configuration
linode-cli linodes create \
  --type g6-standard-4 \
  --region us-central \
  --image linode/ubuntu22.04 \
  --label production-web \
  --root_pass "MySecurePass!" \
  --group webservers

# Create with authorized SSH keys
linode-cli linodes create \
  --type g6-standard-2 \
  --region us-west \
  --image linode/debian11 \
  --label secure-server \
  --root_pass "Password123!" \
  --authorized_keys "ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nz..."

Managing Kubernetes (LKE)

bash

# Create a Kubernetes cluster with multiple node pools
linode-cli lke cluster-create \
  --label my-k8s-cluster \
  --region us-central \
  --k8s_version 1.28 \
  --node_pools.type g6-standard-4 --node_pools.count 3 \
  --node_pools.type g6-standard-8 --node_pools.count 2 \
  --tags production

# List all clusters
linode-cli lke clusters-list

# Update cluster configuration
linode-cli lke cluster-update $CLUSTER_ID \
  --label renamed-cluster \
  --tags production \
  --tags monitoring \
  --tags backup

# Update node pool size
linode-cli lke pool-update $CLUSTER_ID $POOL_ID \
  --count 5

# Delete a cluster
linode-cli lke cluster-delete $CLUSTER_ID

DNS Management

bash

# Create a domain
linode-cli domains create \
  --type master \
  --domain example.com \
  --soa_email admin@example.com

# List domains
linode-cli domains list

# Create DNS record
linode-cli domains records-create $DOMAIN_ID \
  --type A \
  --name www \
  --target 192.0.2.1

# Delete a domain
linode-cli domains delete $DOMAIN_ID

Volume Management

bash

# Create a Block Storage volume
linode-cli volumes create \
  --label my-volume \
  --size 100 \
  --region us-east

# List volumes
linode-cli volumes list

# Attach volume to Linode
linode-cli volumes attach $VOLUME_ID \
  --linode_id $LINODE_ID

# Detach volume
linode-cli volumes detach $VOLUME_ID

Advanced Usage

bash

# Filtering output with jq (requires jq installed)
linode-cli linodes list --json | jq '.[] | select(.status=="running")'

# Using variables in scripts
LINODE_ID=$(linode-cli linodes list --json | jq -r '.[0].id')
echo "First Linode ID: $LINODE_ID"

# Bulk operations example
for region in us-east us-west eu-central; do
  linode-cli linodes create \
    --type g6-nanode-1 \
    --region $region \
    --image linode/alpine3.18 \
    --label "test-$region" \
    --root_pass "TempPassword123!"
done

Reference Files

This skill includes comprehensive documentation in

references/

other.md - Links to official Linode CLI Wiki on GitHub with additional documentation, guides, and community resources

Use

view

to read specific reference files when detailed information is needed.

Working with This Skill

For Beginners

Start with installation: Run
```
pip3 install linode-cli
```
and configure with
```
linode-cli configure
```
Learn the basics: Use
```
--help
```
flag extensively to discover available commands
Practice listing: Start with simple list commands like
```
linode-cli linodes list
```
Test in safe mode: Use small, inexpensive instance types (g6-nanode-1) for testing
Read the output: Default table output is designed to be human-readable

For Intermediate Users

Master output formatting: Learn
```
--json
```
,
```
--format
```
, and
```
--all
```
flags for scripting
Automate common tasks: Create bash scripts for repetitive operations
Combine with jq: Use jq for powerful JSON filtering and processing
Manage multiple resources: Create infrastructure as code with shell scripts
Use environment variables: Set
```
LINODE_CLI_TOKEN
```
for non-interactive automation

For Advanced Users

CI/CD integration: Incorporate linode-cli into deployment pipelines
Infrastructure automation: Build complete infrastructure provisioning scripts
API exploration: Use the CLI to understand Linode's API structure
Custom tooling: Wrap linode-cli in your own management tools
OpenAPI access: Contribute to the OpenAPI spec for new features

Navigation Tips

Discover resources: Use
```
linode-cli --help
```
to see all available resource types
Action discovery: Each resource has different actions (list, create, update, delete, etc.)
Parameter help: Use
```
--help
```
on any action to see required and optional parameters
JSON inspection: Use
```
--json
```
to see all available fields for any resource
Region planning: Run
```
linode-cli regions list
```
before creating resources

Common Patterns

Authentication Setup

bash

# Method 1: Interactive configuration
linode-cli configure

# Method 2: Environment variable
export LINODE_CLI_TOKEN=your_token_here

# Method 3: Config file (~/.config/linode-cli)
[DEFAULT]
token = your_token_here
region = us-east
type = g6-standard-2
image = linode/ubuntu22.04

Instance Lifecycle

bash

# Create → Boot (automatic) → Use → Power off → Delete
linode-cli linodes create --label test --type g6-nanode-1 --region us-east --image linode/alpine3.18 --root_pass "Test123!"
# Get ID from output or list
LINODE_ID=$(linode-cli linodes list --json | jq -r '.[] | select(.label=="test") | .id')
# Shutdown
linode-cli linodes shutdown $LINODE_ID
# Delete
linode-cli linodes delete $LINODE_ID

Scripting Pattern

bash

#!/bin/bash
set -e  # Exit on error

# Configuration
REGION="us-central"
TYPE="g6-standard-2"
IMAGE="linode/debian11"

# Create instance
echo "Creating Linode..."
RESULT=$(linode-cli linodes create \
  --type "$TYPE" \
  --region "$REGION" \
  --image "$IMAGE" \
  --label "auto-server-$(date +%s)" \
  --root_pass "$(openssl rand -base64 32)" \
  --json)

# Extract ID
LINODE_ID=$(echo "$RESULT" | jq -r '.[0].id')
echo "Created Linode ID: $LINODE_ID"

# Wait for running status
while true; do
  STATUS=$(linode-cli linodes view $LINODE_ID --json | jq -r '.[0].status')
  echo "Status: $STATUS"
  [[ "$STATUS" == "running" ]] && break
  sleep 5
done

echo "Linode is ready!"

Resources

Official Documentation

GitHub Repository: https://github.com/linode/linode-cli
Akamai TechDocs: https://techdocs.akamai.com/cloud-computing/docs/cli
API Documentation: https://www.linode.com/docs/api/
Getting Started Guide: https://techdocs.akamai.com/cloud-computing/docs/getting-started-with-the-linode-cli

Key Features

Auto-completion: Bash completion available for command discovery
OpenAPI-driven: Always up-to-date with latest API features
Cross-platform: Works on Linux, macOS, and Windows (via WSL)
Scriptable: Perfect for automation and infrastructure as code
Comprehensive: Access to all Linode API endpoints

Community

Contributors: 49 active contributors
License: BSD-3-Clause
Language: Python (98.8%)
Installation: PyPI package (pip installable)

Tips and Best Practices

Security

Protect tokens: Never commit API tokens to version control
Use environment variables: Store tokens in
```
.env
```
files (git-ignored)
Rotate regularly: Generate new tokens periodically
Limit permissions: Use scoped tokens with minimal required permissions
Strong passwords: Always use strong root passwords for instances

Cost Management

Start small: Use nanode instances (g6-nanode-1) for testing
Delete unused: Remove test instances to avoid unnecessary charges
Monitor usage: Regularly check your account for active resources
Use tags: Organize resources with tags for easier management

Debugging

Verbose output: Add
```
--debug
```
flag for detailed error information
JSON inspection: Use
```
--json --pretty
```
to see full API responses
Check status: Use
```
view
```
commands to inspect resource details
API reference: Consult the API docs for endpoint specifics

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

bash

# Verify token is set
echo $LINODE_CLI_TOKEN

# Test authentication
linode-cli account view

# Reconfigure CLI
linode-cli configure

Common Errors

401 Unauthorized: Invalid or expired API token
404 Not Found: Resource ID doesn't exist or wrong region
422 Unprocessable: Missing required parameters or validation error
429 Rate Limited: Too many requests, implement backoff

Getting Help

bash

# Check CLI version
linode-cli --version

# View debug information
linode-cli linodes list --debug

# Check configuration
cat ~/.config/linode-cli

Notes

This skill was generated from official Linode CLI documentation
The CLI is automatically generated from Linode's OpenAPI specification
All commands and examples are based on the official Linode API v4
Command syntax and available options may change with API updates
Always refer to
```
--help
```
for the most current command documentation

Updating

To stay current with Linode CLI:

bash

# Update via pip
pip3 install --upgrade linode-cli

# Check for new features
linode-cli --help

# Review changelog
pip3 show linode-cli

The CLI is regularly updated to reflect changes in the Linode API. Check the GitHub repository for release notes and breaking changes.

linode-cli

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Linode CLI Skill

When to Use This Skill

Key Concepts

CLI Architecture

Core Resources

Output Formatting

Quick Reference

Installation and Setup

Getting Help

Listing Resources

Creating Compute Instances

Managing Kubernetes (LKE)

DNS Management

Volume Management

Advanced Usage

Reference Files

Working with This Skill

For Beginners

For Intermediate Users

For Advanced Users

Navigation Tips

Common Patterns

Authentication Setup

Instance Lifecycle

Scripting Pattern

Resources

Official Documentation

Key Features

Community

Tips and Best Practices

Security

Cost Management

Debugging

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

Common Errors

Getting Help

Notes

Updating