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In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to download the Jenkins CLI, authenticate, and trigger jobs directly from your terminal. This approach helps automate deployments and integrate Jenkins into your CI/CD workflows.

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1. Download the Jenkins CLI JAR

Navigate to Manage Jenkins → Jenkins CLI and copy the link to jenkins-cli.jar:
The image shows the "Manage Jenkins" page of a Jenkins server, displaying options for troubleshooting and tools such as "Manage Old Data," "Jenkins CLI," and "Script Console."
Replace http://139.84.159.194:8080/ with your own Jenkins URL if different.
On your Jenkins controller VM:
Verify the download:

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2. Explore Available CLI Commands

List all CLI commands and options:
Check your current identity:
Attempting to list jobs without proper credentials results in:

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3. Authenticate with Username and Password

Use -auth USER:SECRET to provide credentials. For example:
Confirm your authenticated identity:
Avoid embedding plaintext passwords in scripts. Use Jenkins API tokens or SSH key authentication for better security.

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4. Build Command and Flags

The build command accepts several useful flags:

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5. Triggering a Parameterized Job

To trigger parameterized-pipeline-job with a BRANCH_NAME parameter:

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6. View Job Status in Jenkins UI

After running the CLI command, you can monitor the build status and trends in the Jenkins dashboard:
The image shows a Jenkins dashboard displaying the status of a parameterized pipeline job, with a test result trend graph and a detailed pipeline execution timeline.

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7. Include Full Console Output

If you need detailed logs in your terminal, add the -v flag:
You can automate these steps in shell scripts or integrate them into your CI/CD pipelines. Beyond building jobs, the Jenkins CLI lets you manage views, plugins, credentials, and more.

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