How to Use the 'balena' Command (with Examples)

Balena is a versatile command-line interface (CLI) tool designed to interact seamlessly with the balenaCloud, openBalena, and the balena API. It enables users to manage cloud applications, handle device deployments, and interact with cloud services for IoT devices. Balena is particularly popular among developers and IoT enthusiasts who are looking to deploy applications across various devices managed within the balena ecosystem. This article serves as a guide to understanding and implementing various operations using the ‘balena’ command by presenting practical examples that cover common use cases.

Use Case 1: Log in to the balenaCloud Account

Code:

balena login

Motivation:
Logging into your balenaCloud account is the fundamental step before interacting with any of the balena services. By logging in, you authenticate your credentials, thereby gaining access to your account resources such as applications and devices. This step is critical for accessing your personalized dashboard and managing the deployed IoT device fleet securely.

Explanation:
The login command does not require additional arguments. When executed, it prompts you to provide your balenaCloud credentials. This command establishes a session that allows you to make subsequent API requests authorized by your login credentials.

Example Output:
Upon successful login, you might see console outputs confirming your authentication, typically something like:

Logging in to balena...
Successfully logged in as [username]

Use Case 2: Create a balenaCloud or openBalena Application

Code:

balena app create app_name

Motivation:
Creating a new application is essential when you are preparing to deploy a new software solution across your device fleet. Each application can be configured independently, allowing for tailored deployments and updates. This is a crucial step for organizing your applications and managing version control efficiently within the balena platform.

Explanation:

• app: This is a reference to the application commands within the balena namespace.
• create: This sub-command initiates the creation of a new application.
• app_name: Replace this placeholder with the desired name for your application. It becomes the identifier for the application within your account.

Example Output:
On successful creation, the terminal would display something along these lines:

Application created: app_name

Use Case 3: List All balenaCloud or openBalena Applications within the Account

Code:

balena apps

Motivation:
Listing all available applications provides an overview of your projects on balenaCloud. This insight helps in inventory management, ensuring you have an up-to-date view of all active and inactive applications. It’s beneficial for organizing large projects, especially in collaborative environments.

Explanation:

• apps: This is a standalone command used to retrieve and display a list of all the applications associated with your account.

Example Output:
The output typically includes the application IDs, names, and additional metadata, presented as a formatted table:

ID    APP NAME   SLUG
123   app1       company/app1
124   app2       company/app2

Use Case 4: List All Devices Associated with the balenaCloud or openBalena Account

Code:

balena devices

Motivation:
For those managing a fleet of IoT devices, it becomes imperative to keep track of every device’s status, connection, and health. Listing all connected devices allows users to monitor these devices’ performance, ensuring proactive maintenance and management, which is essential for large-scale IoT deployments.

Explanation:

• devices: This command is used to output the list of devices linked to your account. It highlights key device information necessary for effective fleet management.

Example Output:
You will see an output table similar to:

ID     DEVICE NAME   APPLICATION NAME   STATUS
1001   device1       app1               Online
1002   device2       app1               Offline

Use Case 5: Flash a balenaOS Image to a Local Drive

Code:

balena local flash path/to/balenaos.img --drive drive_location

Motivation:
Flash-balenaOS to drives is a routine task in preparing physical devices for deployment. This process involves writing the operating system image onto storage media, effectively configuring the device for balenaCloud operation. This step is pivotal for setting up devices with the necessary environment to run specific applications.

Explanation:

• local flash: Indicates a local operation to physically write a disk image.
• path/to/balenaos.img: Replace this path with the actual path to your balenaOS image file.
• --drive drive_location: Specifies the location of the target drive onto which the OS will be flashed. This ensures the OS is installed on the correct drive, avoiding data corruption.

Example Output:
Once the image is successfully flashed, you would typically see an output like:

Flashing [path/to/balenaos.img] to [drive_location]
Successfully flashed!

Conclusion:

The ‘balena’ command-line tool is an indispensable utility for managing balenaCloud and openBalena environments. From simple authentication tasks to complex fleet management operations, balena provides a streamlined CLI to facilitate efficient IoT application development and deployment. By mastering these commands, you can effectively harness the full potential of the balena ecosystem, thereby enhancing your IoT deployment strategies.