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layout: default
navsection: userguide
navmenu: Reference
title: "Command line interface"
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h1. Reference: Command Line Interface

*First, you should be "logged into an Arvados VM instance":{{site.baseurl}}/user/getting_started/ssh-access.html#login, and have a "working environment.":{{site.baseurl}}/user/getting_started/check-environment.html*

h3. Usage

@arv [global_options] resource_type resource_method [method_parameters]@

h4. Global options

- @--format=json@ := Output response as JSON
- @--format=yaml@ := Output response as YAML
- @--format=uuid@ := Output only the UUIDs of object(s) in the API response, one per line.


h3. Resource types and methods

Get list of resource types
@arv --resources@

Get list of resource methods for the "user" resource type
@arv user --help@


h3. Basic examples

Get record for current user
@arv user current@

Get entire record for some specific user
@arv user get --uuid 6dnxa-tpzed-iimd25zhzh84gbk@

Update user record
@arv user update --uuid 6dnxa-tpzed-iimd25zhzh84gbk --first-name "Bob"@

Get list of groups
@arv group list@

Delete a group
@arv group delete --uuid 6dnxa-j7d0g-iw7i6n43d37jtog@