Configure OpenStack CLI

You can configure the CLI console client:

• using operating system tools;
• in a Docker container.

Configure OpenStack CLI using the OS

1. Install OpenStack CLI.

2. Add a service user.

3. Download the service user RC file for authentication in the OpenStack API.

4. Configure authorization in the OpenStack API.

1. Install OpenStack CLI

Ubuntu/Debian

1. Open the CLI.

2. Install Python 3 and virtualenv:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install python3 virtualenv

3. Install pip3:

   sudo apt install python3-pip

4. Create a virtual environment for working with OpenStack:

   virtualenv env

5. Activate the virtual environment:

   source env/bin/activate

6. Install OpenStack CLI in the virtual environment:

   pip3 install python-openstackclient

7. Verify that OpenStack CLI is installed:

   openstack --version

   The OpenStack CLI version number will appear in the response. For example:

   openstack 6.1.0

8. Optional: to work with cloud load balancers, install the Octavia component:

   pip3 install python-octaviaclient

9. Optional: to work with cloud server images, install the Glance component:

   pip3 install python-glanceclient

10. Optional: to work with file storages, install the Manila component:

    pip3 install python-manilaclient==3.4.0

CentOS

1. Open the CLI.

2. Install Python 3, virtualenv, and pip3:

   sudo dnf update -y
   sudo dnf install python3 -y
   sudo dnf install virtualenv -y
   sudo dnf install python3-pip -y

3. Install OpenStack CLI in the virtual environment:

   pip3 install python-openstackclient

4. Verify that OpenStack CLI is installed:

   openstack --version

   The OpenStack CLI version number will appear in the response. For example:

   openstack 6.1.0

5. Optional: to work with cloud load balancers, install the Octavia component:

   pip3 install python-octaviaclient

6. Optional: to work with cloud server images, install the Glance component:

   pip3 install python-glanceclient

7. Optional: to work with file storages, install the Manila component:

   pip3 install python-manilaclient==3.4.0

macOS

1. Open the CLI.

2. Install Python 3 and pip3:

   brew install python3

3. Install virtualenv:

   pip3 install virtualenv

4. Install OpenStack CLI in the virtual environment:

   brew install openstackclient

5. Verify that OpenStack CLI is installed:

   openstack --version

   The OpenStack CLI version number will appear in the response. For example:

   openstack 6.1.0

6. Optional: to work with cloud load balancers, install the Octavia component:

   pip3 install python-octaviaclient

7. Optional: to work with images, install the Glance component:

   pip3 install python-glanceclient

8. Optional: to work with file storages, install the Manila component:

   pip3 install python-manilaclient==3.4.0

Windows

1. Install Python, for example, Python version 3.12.0. During installation, select the Add python.exe to PATH checkbox.

2. Install Microsoft C++ Build Tools. During installation, in the Workloads section, in the Desktop & Mobile block, select the Desktop development with C++ checkbox.

3. Open the CLI.

4. Install OpenStack CLI:

   pip3 install python-openstackclient

5. Verify that OpenStack CLI is installed:

   openstack --version

   The OpenStack CLI version number will appear in the response. For example:

   openstack 6.1.0

6. Optional: to work with cloud load balancers, install the Octavia component:

   pip3 install python-octaviaclient

7. Optional: to work with cloud server images, install the Glance component:

   pip3 install python-glanceclient

8. Optional: to work with file storages, install the Manila component:

   pip3 install python-manilaclient==3.4.0

2. Add a service user

To manage Cloud Platform resources in a project via the OpenStack API, add a service user with permissions in the Projects scope and the role:

• member;
• or reader.

If you need to grant the service user access only to specific resources (for example, network drives), assign the required role to the service user. Learn more about roles in the following instructions:

• Manage access to cloud servers and flavors;
• Manage access to cloud server placement groups;
• Manage access to cloud server network drives and snapshots;
• Manage access to Cloud Platform networks;
• Manage access to the cloud firewall;
• Manage access to security groups;
• Manage access to cloud server images;
• Manage access to cloud server network drive backups;
• Manage access to the cloud load balancer;
• Manage access to file storage.

Users can be added by the Account Owner or users with the iam.admin role.

3. Download the RC file

To configure authorization, download the service user's RC file.

1. In the Control panel, in the top menu, click IAM.

2. Go to the Service users section.

3. Open the page of the service user you added in step 2 → Access tab.

4. In the RC files block:

   4.1. Select a project.

   4.2. Select a location.

   4.3. Click Download.

4. Configure authorization

For your information

OpenStack API authorization can be configured only for one account, service user, project, and pool. If you need to manage resources of another account, in another project or pool, or under another service user, change the authorization credentials.

Linux/macOS

1. Open the CLI.

2. Go to the directory containing the RC file you downloaded in step 3:

   cd <directory_name>

   Specify <directory_name> — the name of the directory containing the RC file.

3. Apply the environment variables from the RC file:

   source <file_name>

   Specify <file_name> — the name of the RC file you downloaded in step 3. Default: rc.sh.

4. Enter the OpenStack password — the password of the service user for whom you downloaded the RC file in step 3.

5. Make sure OpenStack CLI works. To do this, open the list of cloud servers:

   openstack server list

   If cloud servers have been created in the pool and project specified in the RC file, the response will contain their list. If no servers have been created yet, the response will be an empty line.

Windows

1. Open cmd.

2. Add environment variables:

   set OS_AUTH_URL=<url>
   set OS_IDENTITY_API_VERSION=3
   set OS_VOLUME_API_VERSION=3
   set CLIFF_FIT_WIDTH=1
   set OS_PROJECT_DOMAIN_NAME=<account_id>
   set OS_PROJECT_ID=<project_id>
   set OS_TENANT_ID=<project_id>
   set OS_TENANT_NAME=<project_name>
   set OS_REGION_NAME=<pool>
   set OS_USER_DOMAIN_NAME=<account_id>
   set OS_USERNAME=<user_name>
   set OS_PASSWORD=<user_password>

   Specify:

   • <url> — URL for API authorization. The address depends on the region and pool; you can find it in the Authentication subsection of the List of URLs instructions;
   • <account_id> — account number. You can find it in the Control panel in the top right corner;
   • <project_id> — project ID. You can copy it in the Control panel: in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers → open the projects menu (current project name) → in the project row, click ;
   • <project_name> — project name. You can find it in the Control panel: in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers → open the projects menu (current project name) → copy the project name;
   • <pool> — pool, for example, ru-2. You will only be able to manage the project infrastructure in this pool;
   • <user_name> — name of the service user you added in step 2;
   • <user_password> — password of the service user. After the user is created, the password cannot be viewed — you can only generate a new one. Learn more in the Change service user password subsection of the Edit user data and role instructions.

3. Make sure OpenStack CLI works. To do this, open the list of cloud servers:

   openstack server list

   If cloud servers have been created in the pool and project specified in the variables, the response will contain their list. If no servers have been created yet, the response will be an empty line.

Configure OpenStack CLI in a Docker container

1. Install Docker.

2. Add a service user.

3. Download the RC file for OpenStack API authorization.

4. Install OpenStack CLI in a Docker container.

1. Install Docker

To install Docker on a local computer, use the Install Docker instructions in the official Docker documentation.

2. Add a service user

To manage project resources via the OpenStack API, add a service user with permissions in the Projects scope and the role:

• member;
• or reader.

Users can be added by the Account Owner or users with the iam.admin role.

3. Download the RC file

For your information

OpenStack API authorization can be configured only for one account, service user, project, and pool. If after authorization you need to manage resources of another account, in another project or pool, or under another service user, you can change the authorization credentials.

1. In the Control panel, in the top menu, click IAM.

2. Go to the Service users section.

3. Open the page of the service user you added in step 2 → Access tab.

4. In the RC files block:

   4.1. Select a project.

   4.2. Select a location.

   4.3. Click Download.

4. Install OpenStack CLI in a Docker container

1. Open the CLI.

2. Create a directory for working with Docker:

   mkdir <docker_directory>

   Specify <docker_directory> — the name of the directory where the RC file will be added and Dockerfile created.

3. Move the RC file to the directory:

   mv <file_name> <docker_directory>

   Specify:

   • <file_name> — the name of the RC file you downloaded in step 3. Default: rc.sh;
   • <docker_directory> — the name of the directory where the RC file will be added and Dockerfile created.

4. Create an empty Dockerfile in this directory using the nano text editor:

   nano Dockerfile

5. Add commands to the Dockerfile to install OpenStack CLI:

   FROM alpine:3.17
   
   RUN apk add --update --no-cache python3 python3-dev libffi libffi-dev \
       git openssl openssl-dev cargo build-base iputils curl linux-headers \
       py3-pip py3-cffi py3-tz py3-pbr py3-setuptools && \
       pip3 install -UI git+https://github.com/openstack/python-openstackclient.git@stable/2025.1 \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/python-glanceclient.git@stable/2025.1 \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/python-octaviaclient.git@stable/2025.1 \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/python-manilaclient.git@unmaintained/zed \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/osc-lib.git@stable/2025.1 \
         && apk del build-base linux-headers python3-dev libffi-dev openssl-dev git cargo iputils curl && rm -rf /var/cache
   
   CMD ["sh"]

   The current API versions of the components do not support all options of the specified CLIs.

6. Exit the nano text editor saving the changes: press Ctrl+X, and then Y+Enter.

7. Build the Docker container:

   docker build -t osc:dalmatian .

8. Run the Docker container:

   docker run -ti --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace osc:dalmatian

9. Go to the workspace directory:

   cd /workspace

10. Apply the environment variables from the RC file:

    source <file_name>

    Specify <file_name> — the name of the RC file you downloaded in step 3. Default: rc.sh.

11. Enter the OpenStack password — the password of the service user for whom you downloaded the RC file in step 3.

12. Make sure OpenStack CLI works. To do this, open the list of cloud servers:

openstack server list

If cloud servers have been created in the pool and project specified in the RC file, the response will contain their list. If no servers have been created yet, the response will be an empty line.