Using Jenkins CLI

1. Downloading Jenkins CLI

Method	Description	Notes
Jenkins Web UI	Go to `http://<your-jenkins-url>/cli`	Download the `jenkins-cli.jar` file from the web UI.
Command Line	`curl -s http://<your-jenkins-url>/jnlpJars/jenkins-cli.jar -o jenkins-cli.jar`	Use `curl` or `wget` to download the CLI JAR file.
Jenkins Plugin	Install the `cli` plugin via Jenkins Plugin Manager	Enables CLI access through the web UI and command-line tools.

Example: Downloading CLI via curl

curl -s http://jenkins.example.com/jnlpJars/jenkins-cli.jar -o jenkins-cli.jar

Note: Ensure that the Jenkins server allows CLI access and that you have appropriate permissions to download the CLI JAR.

2. Authenticating with CLI

Method	Description	Notes
jenkins-cli.jar	Download the CLI JAR file from your Jenkins instance.	Available at `http://your-jenkins-url/jnlpJars/jenkins-cli.jar`
CLI Token	Generate a CLI token from your Jenkins user profile.	Go to `http://your-jenkins-url/user/username/configure` and find the "API Token" section.
SSH Key Authentication	Use SSH keys for secure authentication.	Requires Jenkins SSH plugin and configured SSH keys.

Example: Using CLI Token

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://your-jenkins-url/ -remoting -auth username:token <command>

Note: Ensure the CLI token has appropriate permissions to execute commands.

Warning: Never expose your CLI token in logs or public repositories.

3. Creating Jobs via CLI

Command	Description	Example
jenkins-cli create-job	Creates a new job from a configuration file	`jenkins-cli -s http://localhost:8080 create-job my-new-job < job-config.xml`
jenkins-cli get-job	Retrieves the configuration of an existing job	`jenkins-cli -s http://localhost:8080 get-job my-new-job > job-config.xml`

Example: Creating a New Job

jenkins-cli -s http://localhost:8080 create-job my-new-job < job-config.xml

Note: The job configuration must be in XML format compatible with Jenkins.

4. Triggering Builds

Command	Description	Parameters	Notes
build	Trigger a build for a specific job	`job-name`	Triggers the latest build of the specified job
build -s	Trigger a build and wait for completion	`job-name`	Blocks until the build completes or fails
build -p	Trigger a build with parameters	`job-name`, `param1=value1`	Allows passing build parameters to the job

Example: Trigger a build

jenkins-cli -s http://jenkins.example.com build my-job

Example: Trigger a parameterized build

jenkins-cli -s http://jenkins.example.com build -p my-job param1=value1 param2=value2

Note: The Jenkins CLI requires authentication via a token or session cookie. Ensure the user has appropriate permissions to trigger builds.

5. Managing Plugins via CLI

Command	Description	Options	Notes
jenkins-cli get-plugins	Lists all installed plugins	`-s <server-url>`	Displays plugin name, version, and status
jenkins-cli install-plugin	Installs a plugin from the Jenkins Plugin Manager	`-s <server-url>`, `-name <plugin-name>`	Can install a specific plugin by name
jenkins-cli uninstall-plugin	Uninstalls a plugin from Jenkins	`-s <server-url>`, `-name <plugin-name>`	Removes plugin and its dependencies if not used elsewhere
jenkins-cli update-plugin	Updates a plugin to the latest version	`-s <server-url>`, `-name <plugin-name>`	Requires plugin to be installed

Example: Install a Plugin via CLI

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ install-plugin email-ext</code>
</pre>
</div>
</div>
<div class="example">
<h2 id="example-list-installed-plugins">Example: List Installed Plugins<a href="#example-list-installed-plugins" class="toc__headingLink" aria-label="Link to this section"><svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<div class="codeBlock" data-language="bash">
<pre><code>java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ get-plugins</code>
</pre>
</div>
</div>
<h2 id="6-getting-job-configuration">6. Getting Job Configuration<a href="#6-getting-job-configuration" class="toc__headingLink" aria-label="Link to this section"><svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Command</th>
<th>Description</th>
<th>Example</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="property">get-job</td>
<td>Retrieves the configuration XML of a job</td>
<td><code>java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ get-job job-name</code></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> The output is the full XML configuration of the job, which can be used to recreate or migrate jobs.</div>
<h2 id="7-updating-job-configuration">7. Updating Job Configuration<a href="#7-updating-job-configuration" class="toc__headingLink" aria-label="Link to this section"><svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Property</th>
<th>Values</th>
<th>Description</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="property">job.name</td>
<td><code>my-job</code></td>
<td>Name of the job to update</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="property">config.xml</td>
<td><code>path/to/config.xml</code></td>
<td>Path to the new configuration XML file</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="example">
<h2 id="example-update-job-configuration-using-cli">Example: Update job configuration using CLI<a href="#example-update-job-configuration-using-cli" class="toc__headingLink" aria-label="Link to this section"><svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"><path d="M10 13a5 5 0 0 0 7.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 0 0-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71"></path><path d="M14 11a5 5 0 0 0-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 0 0 7.07 7.07l1.71-1.71"></path></svg></a></h2>
<div class="codeBlock" data-language="bash">
<pre><code>java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ -auth admin:password set-job-config my-job /path/to/new-config.xml

Note: Ensure the XML file is valid and compatible with the Jenkins version.

8. Managing Nodes via CLI

Command	Description	Options
jenkins-cli get-node	Retrieves information about a specific node	`-s <server-url>`, `-i <node-name>`
jenkins-cli create-node	Creates a new node with specified configuration	`-s <server-url>`, `-i <node-name>`, `-f <config-file>`
jenkins-cli delete-node	Deletes a node from Jenkins	`-s <server-url>`, `-i <node-name>`
jenkins-cli update-node	Updates an existing node's configuration	`-s <server-url>`, `-i <node-name>`, `-f <config-file>`

Example: Create a new node via CLI

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ -i my-node create-node -f node-config.xml

Example: Retrieve node information

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ -i my-node get-node

Note: Node configuration files must be in XML format compatible with Jenkins' node definition schema.

9. Using Groovy Scripts

Jenkins provides extensive support for Groovy scripts, which can be used for automation, configuration management, and advanced scripting within the Jenkins environment.

Script Type	Description	Usage
Jenkins Script Console	Allows running Groovy scripts directly in Jenkins UI	Access via `Manage Jenkins > Script Console`
Jenkinsfile	Declarative or Scripted Pipeline using Groovy syntax	Defined in `Jenkinsfile` within project root
Groovy Shared Libraries	Reusable Groovy code across multiple pipelines	Defined in `vars/` directory within library

Example: Groovy Script to List All Jobs

import jenkins.model.Jenkins

def jenkins = Jenkins.instance
jenkins.jobs.each { job ->
    println "Job Name: " + job.name
}

Example: Groovy Script to Get Job Build Info

import jenkins.model.Jenkins

def jobName = "my-job"
def job = Jenkins.instance.getItem(jobName)
if (job != null) {
    def lastBuild = job.getLastBuild()
    if (lastBuild != null) {
        println "Last Build Number: " + lastBuild.number
        println "Build Status: " + lastBuild.result.toString()
    }
}

Note: Groovy scripts in Jenkins can access the full Jenkins API and are powerful for automation but should be used with caution due to their ability to modify system settings or execute arbitrary code.

10. Listing Available Commands

Command	Description	Usage
cli help	Lists all available CLI commands	`java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ help`
cli help <command>	Shows detailed help for a specific command	`java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ help build`

Example: Listing all CLI commands

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

Example: Getting help for a specific command

java -jar jenkins-cli.jar -s http://localhost:8080/ help build