nmcli

nmcli is a command-line interface for managing NetworkManager, a tool used to manage network connections on Linux-based systems. It provides a convenient way to configure network interfaces, Wi-Fi connections, VPNs, and other networking configurations directly from the command line.

Key Features and Subcommands

Here’s a breakdown of some common nmcli commands and their usage:

1. nmcli general

Used to display general system network settings and manage NetworkManager.

Show general status of NetworkManager:
```
nmcli general status
```
This command shows the overall status of NetworkManager (e.g., whether it's running).
Show the NetworkManager version:
```
nmcli general version
```

Enable/Disable NetworkManager:

nmcli general enable
nmcli general disable

2. nmcli device

Manages network devices and shows their status.

Show all network devices:
```
nmcli device status
```
Displays the status of all network devices (e.g., Ethernet, Wi-Fi, etc.).

Bring a device up or down:

nmcli device connect eth0
nmcli device disconnect eth0

Show detailed information about a device:
```
nmcli device show eth0
```

Change device connection:

nmcli device wifi connect SSID password "yourpassword"

3. nmcli connection

Used to manage network connections (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, VPN, etc.).

Show all connections:
```
nmcli connection show
```
Show a specific connection:
```
nmcli connection show <connection-name>
```
Activate a connection:
```
nmcli connection up <connection-name>
```
Deactivate a connection:
```
nmcli connection down <connection-name>
```

Add a new Wi-Fi connection:

nmcli connection add type wifi ifname wlan0 con-name mywifi autoconnect yes ssid MySSID

Delete a connection:

nmcli connection delete <connection-name>

Edit a connection:

nmcli connection modify <connection-name> ipv4.addresses 192.168.1.100/24

4. nmcli networking

Used to control the overall networking status.

Enable or disable networking:

nmcli networking off
nmcli networking on

5. nmcli radio

Used to control the wireless radio (Wi-Fi) state.

Enable Wi-Fi radio:
```
nmcli radio wifi on
```
Disable Wi-Fi radio:
```
nmcli radio wifi off
```

Enable/Disable Bluetooth radio:

nmcli radio bluetooth on
nmcli radio bluetooth off

6. nmcli vpn

Manages VPN connections.

Show VPN connections:
```
nmcli vpn show
```

Add a VPN connection:

nmcli connection add type vpn vpn-type openvpn con-name myvpn ifname -- vpn-service-type org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.openvpn

Activate a VPN connection:
```
nmcli connection up myvpn
```

7. nmcli monitor

Monitors network status in real-time.

Monitor changes to connections:
```
nmcli monitor
```

This command will keep the terminal open and monitor any network changes in real-time.

8. nmcli wifi

Manages Wi-Fi connections and networks.

List available Wi-Fi networks:
```
nmcli device wifi list
```

Connect to a Wi-Fi network:

nmcli device wifi connect SSID password "yourpassword"

Disconnect from the current Wi-Fi network:
```
nmcli device disconnect wlan0
```

Examples of nmcli Usage

Check the current connection status:
```
nmcli connection show --active
```

Change the IP address of an interface:

nmcli connection modify "Wired connection 1" ipv4.addresses 192.168.0.100/24

Create a new Ethernet connection:

nmcli connection add type ethernet con-name "MyEthernet" ifname eth0 ipv4.addresses 192.168.0.101/24

Enable and disable Wi-Fi:

nmcli radio wifi off
nmcli radio wifi on

Activate or deactivate a connection:

nmcli connection up "MyWifi"
nmcli connection down "MyWifi"

Conclusion

nmcli is a powerful and flexible tool for managing network connections on Linux systems. Whether you're configuring an Ethernet connection, connecting to Wi-Fi, managing VPNs, or even controlling network device states, nmcli provides a comprehensive set of commands to handle all your network configuration needs from the command line.

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Last updated 4 months ago