Using the gcloud Command Line Interface (CLI) for Google Cloud Platform (with examples)

The gcloud command is the official CLI tool for Google Cloud Platform. It provides a convenient way to interact with various Google Cloud services from the command line. In this article, we will explore different use cases of the gcloud command, along with their code examples, motivations, explanations, and example outputs.

1: List all properties in one’s active configuration

gcloud config list

Motivation: This command allows you to view all the properties in your active configuration. It is useful to verify the currently selected project, zone, and other configuration settings.

Explanation: The config list sub-command is used to list all the properties in your active configuration.

Example Output:

[compute]
region = us-central1
zone = us-central1-c
[core]
account = user@example.com
disable_usage_reporting = True
project = project_name

2: Log in to Google account

gcloud auth login

Motivation: Logging in to your Google account is necessary before performing any operations on Google Cloud Platform. This command allows you to authenticate yourself with your Google account.

Explanation: The auth login sub-command initiates the login flow and prompts you to authenticate with your Google account credentials.

Example Output:

You are now logged in as [user@example.com].

3: Set the active project

gcloud config set project project_name

Motivation: The active project determines which project-specific resources and configurations you are working with. Setting the active project allows you to specify the default project for your gcloud commands.

Explanation: The config set sub-command is used to set the active project to the specified project name.

Arguments:

• project_name: The project ID or project name to set as the active project.

Example Output:

Updated property [core/project].

4: SSH into a virtual machine instance

gcloud compute ssh user@instance

Motivation: SSHing into a virtual machine (VM) instance allows you to access and manage the instance remotely through the command line.

Explanation: The compute ssh sub-command is used to initiate an SSH connection to the specified VM instance.

Arguments:

• user: The username to log in as on the instance.
• instance: The name of the VM instance or the URL of the instance to connect to.

Example Output:

Connecting to [instance].
...
...

5: Display all Google Compute Engine instances in a project

gcloud compute instances list

Motivation: This command provides a quick overview of all the Google Compute Engine instances within a project. It allows you to see the status, machine type, zone, and other details of each instance.

Explanation: The compute instances list sub-command is used to list all the instances in a project.

Example Output:

NAME         ZONE           MACHINE_TYPE   PREEMPTIBLE  INTERNAL_IP  EXTERNAL_IP      STATUS
vm-instance  us-central1-c  n1-standard-1              10.128.0.2   x.x.x.x          RUNNING

6: Update a kubeconfig file with the appropriate credentials

gcloud container clusters get-credentials cluster_name

Motivation: When working with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), you need to update your kubeconfig file with the appropriate credentials to access and manage your GKE cluster using kubectl commands.

Explanation: The container clusters get-credentials sub-command is used to update the kubeconfig file with the necessary credentials for a specific GKE cluster.

Arguments:

• cluster_name: The name of the GKE cluster.

Example Output:

Fetching cluster endpoint and auth data.
kubeconfig entry generated for cluster_name.

7: Update all gcloud CLI components

gcloud components update

Motivation: Regularly updating the gcloud CLI components ensures that you have the latest features, bug fixes, and security patches. It is recommended to keep the CLI up to date.

Explanation: The components update sub-command is used to update all the installed CLI components to their latest available versions.

Example Output:

All components are up to date.

8: Show help for a given command

gcloud help command

Motivation: If you need assistance or want to understand the usage, options, and examples of a specific gcloud command, the help command provides detailed information about the command’s syntax and options.

Explanation: The help command is used to display help information for the specified gcloud command.

Arguments:

• command: The command name for which you want to view the help information.

Example Output:

Prints help information for the specified command.

POSITIONAL ARGUMENTS
  COMMAND                 Command to get help on.

In conclusion, the gcloud command line interface offers a powerful set of tools to manage and interact with various Google Cloud Platform services. By understanding and utilizing the different use cases provided in this article, you can efficiently work with Google Cloud services from the command line.