How to Manage Jenkins from Command Line Easily

You can manage Jenkins from the command line using the jenkins-cli.jar tool, which lets you run commands like creating jobs, building projects, and managing plugins. Download the CLI jar from your Jenkins server and run commands with java -jar jenkins-cli.jar followed by the desired action.

Syntax

The basic syntax to use Jenkins CLI is:

• java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s JENKINS_URL COMMAND [OPTIONS]
• -s JENKINS_URL: URL of your Jenkins server (e.g., http://localhost:8080)
• COMMAND: The Jenkins command you want to run (like build, create-job, list-jobs)
• [OPTIONS]: Additional parameters or flags for the command

bash

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080 COMMAND [OPTIONS]

Example

This example shows how to list all jobs on a Jenkins server using the CLI tool.

bash

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080 list-jobs

Output

ExampleJob1
ExampleJob2
ExampleJob3

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using Jenkins CLI include:

• Not downloading the jenkins-cli.jar from the correct Jenkins server URL.
• Forgetting to authenticate if your Jenkins requires login, which can cause commands to fail.
• Using incorrect command names or missing required options.
• Running commands without proper permissions on Jenkins.

bash

Wrong (missing authentication):
java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080 build ExampleJob

Right (with authentication):
java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080 -auth user:APITOKEN build ExampleJob

Quick Reference

Here are some useful Jenkins CLI commands:

Command	Description
list-jobs	Lists all jobs on the Jenkins server
build JOB_NAME	Triggers a build for the specified job
create-job JOB_NAME	Creates a new job from XML configuration
delete-job JOB_NAME	Deletes the specified job
install-plugin PLUGIN_NAME	Installs a plugin by name
safe-restart	Restarts Jenkins safely after current builds finish
who-am-i	Shows the current user identity

Key Takeaways

Use the jenkins-cli.jar tool with java -jar to run Jenkins commands from the terminal.

Always specify your Jenkins server URL with the -s option.

Authenticate with -auth user:APITOKEN if your Jenkins requires login.

Common commands include list-jobs, build, create-job, and install-plugin.

Download the CLI jar directly from your Jenkins server at /jnlpJars/jenkins-cli.jar.