How to use the command balena (with examples)
The balena command is a tool that allows users to interact with the balenaCloud, openBalena, and the balena API. It provides a set of commands to perform various operations such as logging in to the balenaCloud account, creating applications, listing applications and devices, and flashing OS images.
Use case 1: Logging in to the balenaCloud account
Code:
balena login
Motivation: The balena login command is used to authenticate and log in to the balenaCloud account. By logging in, users can access their deployments, devices, applications, and other resources on the balenaCloud platform.
Explanation: The login command is self-contained and does not require any arguments. Upon executing the command, users will be prompted to enter their email address and password associated with their balenaCloud account.
Example output:
? Email: user@example.com
? Password: *********
Successfully logged in to balenaCloud
Use case 2: Creating a balenaCloud or openBalena application
Code:
balena app create app_name
Motivation: The balena app create command is used to create a new application on the balenaCloud or openBalena platform. By creating an application, users can manage and deploy code to their balena devices.
Explanation: The create command creates a new application with the specified name (app_name). The name should be unique and is used to identify the application.
Example output:
Creating application 'myapp'...
Application 'myapp' created successfully
Use case 3: Listing balenaCloud or openBalena applications
Code:
balena apps
Motivation: The balena apps command is used to list all the applications associated with the balenaCloud or openBalena account. This allows users to view and manage their applications easily.
Explanation: The apps command lists all the applications associated with the account. It retrieves the application names, their unique IDs, and other metadata related to the applications.
Example output:
ID NAME DEVICE TYPE ENTRYPOINT ONLINE DEVICES
123456 myapp raspberrypi3 2
987654 anotherapp intel-nucui 3
Use case 4: Listing balenaCloud or openBalena devices
Code:
balena devices
Motivation: The balena devices command is used to retrieve a list of all devices associated with the balenaCloud or openBalena account. By listing the devices, users can have an overview of their fleet and monitor their status.
Explanation: The devices command lists all the devices associated with the account. It retrieves information such as device name, device type, online status, device UUID, and OS version.
Example output:
ID UUID DEVICE NAME DEVICE TYPE ONLINE STATUS IS LOCKED OS VERSION
123456 ba1ec1435056bbeda9a7da0271d27fd7 mydevice raspberrypi3 Idle false balenaOS 2.67.3+rev1
987654 12fbd742bfc9a0db894d537f9538306d anotherdev intel-nucui Idle false balenaOS 2.67.3+rev1
Use case 5: Flashing a balenaOS image to a local drive
Code:
balena local flash path/to/balenaos.img --drive drive_location
Motivation: The balena local flash command is used to flash a balenaOS image to a local drive. This is useful when setting up a new device or preparing a balenaOS image for deployment.
Explanation: The local flash command is used to flash a balenaOS image located at path/to/balenaos.img to a drive specified by drive_location. The drive_location argument represents the target drive where the image will be written. It can be a disk device (e.g., /dev/sdb) or a disk image file (e.g., image.dd).
Example output:
Flashing balenaOS image...
Preparing to flash, please wait...
Flashing completed successfully
Conclusion:
The balena command is a powerful tool for interacting with the balenaCloud, openBalena, and the balena API. It provides a convenient way to log in, create applications, list applications and devices, and flash balenaOS images. By leveraging these commands, users can effectively manage and control their balena deployments.
