# Using the Jenkins CLI

**URL:** https://community.jenkins.io/t/using-the-jenkins-cli/24090
**Category:** Using Jenkins
**Tags:** question
**Created:** [November 30, 2024, 12:25am UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/using-the-jenkins-cli/24090 "2024-11-30T00:25:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![muellert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@muellert](https://community.jenkins.io/u/muellert)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2024, 12:25am UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/using-the-jenkins-cli/24090/1 "2024-11-30T00:25:43Z")

</div>

Jenkins setup: Running directly under systemd on Bookworm amd64 using  
openjdk 17.0.13 2024-10-15  
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 17.0.13+11-Debian-2deb12u1)  
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 17.0.13+11-Debian-2deb12u1, mixed mode, sharing)

## Jenkins: 2.487 OS: Linux - 6.1.0-27-amd64 Java: 17.0.13 - Debian (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM)

analysis-model-api:12.9.1  
antisamy-markup-formatter:162.v0e6ec0fcfcf6  
apache-httpcomponents-client-4-api:4.5.14-208.v438351942757  
apache-httpcomponents-client-5-api:5.4-124.v31e2987e48f4  
asm-api:9.7.1-97.v4cc844130d97  
authentication-tokens:1.119.v50285141b\_7e1  
blueocean:1.27.16  
blueocean-bitbucket-pipeline:1.27.16  
blueocean-commons:1.27.16  
blueocean-config:1.27.16  
blueocean-core-js:1.27.16  
blueocean-dashboard:1.27.16  
blueocean-display-url:2.4.3  
blueocean-events:1.27.16  
blueocean-git-pipeline:1.27.16  
blueocean-github-pipeline:1.27.16  
blueocean-i18n:1.27.16  
blueocean-jwt:1.27.16  
blueocean-personalization:1.27.16  
blueocean-pipeline-api-impl:1.27.16  
blueocean-pipeline-editor:1.27.16  
blueocean-pipeline-scm-api:1.27.16  
blueocean-rest:1.27.16  
blueocean-rest-impl:1.27.16  
blueocean-web:1.27.16  
bootstrap5-api:5.3.3-1  
bouncycastle-api:2.30.1.78.1-248.ve27176eb\_46cb\_  
branch-api:2.1200.v4b\_a\_3da\_2eb\_db\_4  
caffeine-api:3.1.8-133.v17b\_1ff2e0599  
checks-api:2.2.1  
cloudbees-bitbucket-branch-source:922.va\_71d0e0b\_7b\_8d  
cloudbees-folder:6.959.v4ed5cc9e2dd4  
commons-lang3-api:3.17.0-84.vb\_b\_938040b\_078  
commons-text-api:1.12.0-129.v99a\_50df237f7  
configuration-as-code:1897.v79281e066ea\_7  
coverage:1.16.1  
credentials:1389.vd7a\_b\_f5fa\_50a\_2  
credentials-binding:687.v619cb\_15e923f  
data-tables-api:2.1.8-1  
display-url-api:2.209.v582ed814ff2f  
durable-task:581.v299a\_5609d767  
echarts-api:5.5.1-4  
eddsa-api:0.3.0-4.v84c6f0f4969e  
favorite:2.221.v19ca\_666b\_62f5  
font-awesome-api:6.6.0-2  
forensics-api:2.6.0  
git:5.6.0  
git-client:6.1.0  
gitea:220.v4618c82a\_40fb\_  
gitea-checks:498.v4267e9fd1499  
github:1.40.0  
github-api:1.321-478.vc9ce627ce001  
github-branch-source:1807.v50351eb\_7dd13  
groovy:457.v99900cb\_85593  
gson-api:2.11.0-85.v1f4e87273c33  
handy-uri-templates-2-api:2.1.8-30.v7e777411b\_148  
htmlpublisher:1.37  
instance-identity:201.vd2a\_b\_5a\_468a\_a\_6  
ionicons-api:74.v93d5eb\_813d5f  
jackson2-api:2.17.0-379.v02de8ec9f64c  
jakarta-activation-api:2.1.3-1  
jakarta-mail-api:2.1.3-1  
javax-activation-api:1.2.0-7  
javax-mail-api:1.6.2-10  
jaxb:2.3.9-1  
jenkins-design-language:1.27.16  
jjwt-api:0.11.5-112.ve82dfb\_224b\_a\_d  
joda-time-api:2.13.0-93.v9934da\_29b\_a\_e9  
jquery3-api:3.7.1-2  
json-api:20240303-101.v7a\_8666713110  
json-path-api:2.9.0-118.v7f23ed82a\_8b\_8  
junit:1309.v0078b\_fecd6ed  
mailer:489.vd4b\_25144138f  
matrix-project:840.v812f627cb\_578  
mina-sshd-api-common:2.14.0-133.vcc091215a\_358  
mina-sshd-api-core:2.14.0-133.vcc091215a\_358  
okhttp-api:4.11.0-181.v1de5b\_83857df  
people-view:1.2  
pipeline-build-step:540.vb\_e8849e1a\_b\_d8  
pipeline-graph-analysis:216.vfd8b\_ece330ca\_  
pipeline-groovy-lib:744.v5b\_556ee7c253  
pipeline-input-step:495.ve9c153f6067b\_  
pipeline-milestone-step:119.vdfdc43fc3b\_9a\_  
pipeline-model-api:2.2218.v56d0cda\_37c72  
pipeline-model-definition:2.2218.v56d0cda\_37c72  
pipeline-model-extensions:2.2218.v56d0cda\_37c72  
pipeline-stage-step:312.v8cd10304c27a\_  
pipeline-stage-tags-metadata:2.2218.v56d0cda\_37c72  
plain-credentials:183.va\_de8f1dd5a\_2b\_  
plugin-util-api:5.1.0  
prism-api:1.29.0-18  
pubsub-light:1.18  
role-strategy:743.v142ea\_b\_d5f1d3  
scm-api:698.v8e3b\_c788f0a\_6  
script-security:1369.v9b\_98a\_4e95b\_2d  
snakeyaml-api:2.3-123.v13484c65210a\_  
sse-gateway:1.27  
ssh-credentials:349.vb\_8b\_6b\_9709f5b\_  
sshd:3.330.vc866a\_8389b\_58  
structs:338.v848422169819  
token-macro:400.v35420b\_922dcb\_  
variant:60.v7290fc0eb\_b\_cd  
warnings-ng:11.12.0  
workflow-api:1336.vee415d95c521  
workflow-basic-steps:1058.vcb\_fc1e3a\_21a\_9  
workflow-cps:3996.va\_f5c1799f978  
workflow-durable-task-step:1398.vf6c9e89e5988  
workflow-job:1468.vcf4f5ee92395  
workflow-multibranch:795.ve0cb\_1f45ca\_9a\_  
workflow-scm-step:427.v4ca\_6512e7df1  
workflow-step-api:678.v3ee58b\_469476  
workflow-support:936.v9fa\_77211ca\_e1

I am trying to run the Jenkins CLI using these instructions:

[![](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/jenkins/original/2X/1/1caf4188d0e3b2a43f2b895156cb766ccc5dcc34.jpeg "How To Use Jenkins CLI") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vmVV0oTUKQ)

So I have a few environment variables, but I don’t get lucky:

```auto
$ env |grep -F JENKINS
JENKINS_API_TOKEN=113c5b4b85715b1e3a1eb6faedea071988
JENKINS_URL=http://192.168.122.148/jenkins/
JENKINS_USER_ID=admin
$ java -jar /opt/jenkins-cli.jar help

ERROR: You must authenticate to access this Jenkins.
Jenkins CLI
Usage: java -jar jenkins-cli.jar [-s URL] command [opts...] args...

```

I’ve omitted the rest of the help message, but why does authentication not work? And how can I make it work, please? I have been looking around for logs, but didn’t find anything.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![muellert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@muellert](https://community.jenkins.io/u/muellert)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/using-the-jenkins-cli/24090/2 "2024-11-30T21:05:16Z")

</div>

While the question is still open, I managed to use the CLI, but only with different parameters:

- only with an RSA key, no ED25519 key, nor with a token,
- and only without a passphrase. Even using ssh-agent did not work.

Can someone please shine a light on what’s going on here, or why these limitations are present? It would also be nice if the documentation could be amended to include all the requirements, as this area is imho not well documented at the moment.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![muellert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@muellert](https://community.jenkins.io/u/muellert)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/using-the-jenkins-cli/24090/3 "2024-12-01T02:14:23Z")

</div>

I’ve experimented a little more, and neither the token nor the password worked. Example:

```auto
$ curl -s --cookie-jar /tmp/cookies.txt -u 'admin:113c5b4b85715b1e3a1eb6faedea071988' http://192.168.122.148/jenkins/crumbIssuer/api/json
<html><head><meta http-equiv='refresh' content='1;url=/jenkins/login?from=%2Fjenkins%2FcrumbIssuer%2Fapi%2Fjson'/><script id='redirect' data-redirect-url='/jenkins/login?from=%2Fjenkins%2FcrumbIssuer%2Fapi%2Fjson' src='/jenkins/static/98ff3e58/scripts/redirect.js'></script></head><body style='background-color:white; color:white;'>
Authentication required
<!--
-->

</body></html>

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![muellert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@muellert](https://community.jenkins.io/u/muellert)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2024, 10:01am UTC](https://community.jenkins.io/t/using-the-jenkins-cli/24090/4 "2024-12-02T10:01:27Z")

</div>

In the meantime, I have also tried without the proxy, but get the same results, ie, 401s. It’s just either jenkins-cli.jar or curl, plus Jenkins, all on the same machine, ie, no non-local networking involved. On one occasion, I got a 200 + an error message telling me that I need to authenticate.