---
layout: default
navsection: userguide
-navmenu: Reference
title: "Command line interface"
-
...
-h1. Reference: Command Line Interface
-
-If you are logged in to an Arvados VM, the command line SDK should be installed. Try:
-
-@arv --help@
-
-<!-- _Help is not helpful. See bug #1667_ -->
+*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. First...
+h3. Usage
-Set the ARVADOS_API_HOST environment variable.
+@arv [global_options] resource_type resource_method [method_parameters]@
-@export ARVADOS_API_HOST={{ site.arvados_api_host }}@
+h4. Global options
-Log in to Workbench and get an API token for your account. Set the ARVADOS_API_TOKEN environment variable.
+- @--format=json@ := Output response as JSON. This is the default format.
-@export
-ARVADOS_API_TOKEN=c0vdbi8wp7f703lbthyadlvmaivgldxssy3l32isslmax93k9@
+- @--format=yaml@ := Output response as YAML
-If you are using a development instance with an unverifiable SSL certificate, set the ARVADOS_API_HOST_INSECURE environment variable.
+- @--format=uuid@ := Output only the UUIDs of object(s) in the API response, one per line.
-@export ARVADOS_API_HOST_INSECURE=1@
-<!-- _This should link back to "api-tokens":api-tokens.html instead of
-re-explaining it__ -->
+h3. Resource types and methods
-h3. Usage
+Get list of resource types
+@arv --resources@
-@arv [global_options] resource_type resource_method [method_parameters]@
+Get list of resource methods for the "user" resource type
+@arv user --help@
-<!-- _This is what arv --help really ought to print out_ -->
h3. Basic examples
-Get UUID of the current user
+Get record for current user
@arv user current@
-Get entire record (json) for current user
-@arv -h user current@
-
-Get entire record for identified user
-@arv -h user get --uuid 6dnxa-tpzed-iimd25zhzh84gbk@
+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 (showing just UUIDs)
+Get list of groups
@arv group list@
-Get list of groups (showing entire records)
-@arv -h group list@
-
Delete a group
@arv group delete --uuid 6dnxa-j7d0g-iw7i6n43d37jtog@
-
-h3. Global options
-
-<!-- _Move these up to before "basic examples", and give examples of what
-these options do and how they might be useful._ -->
-
-- @--json@, @-j@ := Output entire response as compact JSON.
-
-- @--pretty@, @--human@, @-h@ := Output entire response as JSON with whitespace for better human-readability.
-
-- @--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 --help@
-
-Get list of resource methods for the "user" resource type
-@arv user --help@