Getting Started with RunPod CLI

Getting Started with RunPod CLI | Generated by AI

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Question: What is a comprehensive introduction to the RunPod CLI (runpodctl) — the command-line interface for the RunPod GPU platform?

Answer:

Introduction to RunPod CLI (`runpodctl`)

What is RunPod CLI?

runpodctl is an open-source command-line interface tool for managing your RunPod resources remotely from your local machine. You can transfer files and data between your local system and RunPod, execute code on remote Pods, and automate Pod deployment workflows.

The CLI offers several key capabilities: managing Pods (create, list, start, stop, terminate), transferring files between your local machine and Pods, and developing and deploying Serverless endpoints using RunPod projects.

Every Pod you deploy comes preinstalled with the runpodctl command and a Pod-scoped API key. You can also install it on your local machine to manage your Pods remotely from your own system.

Installation

macOS

# Homebrew (recommended)
brew install runpod/runpodctl/runpodctl

# Apple Silicon (ARM)
wget --quiet --show-progress https://github.com/runpod/runpodctl/releases/download/v1.14.3/runpodctl-darwin-arm64 \
  -O runpodctl && chmod +x runpodctl && sudo mv runpodctl /usr/local/bin/runpodctl

# Intel (AMD)
wget --quiet --show-progress https://github.com/runpod/runpodctl/releases/download/v1.14.3/runpodctl-darwin-amd64 \
  -O runpodctl && chmod +x runpodctl && sudo mv runpodctl /usr/local/bin/runpodctl

Linux

wget --quiet --show-progress https://github.com/Run-Pod/runpodctl/releases/download/v1.14.3/runpodctl-linux-amd64 \
  -O runpodctl && chmod +x runpodctl && sudo cp runpodctl /usr/bin/runpodctl

Windows

wget https://github.com/runpod/runpodctl/releases/download/v1.14.3/runpodctl-windows-amd64.exe -O runpodctl.exe

One-liner Universal Installer

wget -qO- cli.runpod.net | bash

Configuration — API Key Setup

Before using runpodctl locally, you must authenticate with your RunPod API key:

runpodctl config --apiKey YOUR_API_KEY

This saves the key into ~/.runpod/config.toml. To verify the installation:

runpodctl version

Command Structure

Commands follow a noun-verb pattern: runpodctl <resource> <action>. For example:

runpodctl pod list
runpodctl pod get <id>
runpodctl pod create --image=<img>

Core Command Categories

1. Pod Management

The main pod commands are:

runpodctl pod list              # list all pods
runpodctl pod get <id>          # get pod details
runpodctl pod create --image=runpod/pytorch:latest --gpu-id=NVIDIA_A100   # create a pod
runpodctl pod update <id>       # update a pod
runpodctl pod start <id>        # start a stopped pod
runpodctl pod stop <id>         # stop a running pod
runpodctl pod delete <id>       # delete a pod

You can also start a spot pod with a bid price:

runpodctl start pod {podId} --bid=0.3

The bid price you set is the price you will pay if not outbid.

2. Serverless Endpoint Management

runpodctl serverless list          # list endpoints (alias: sls)
runpodctl serverless get <id>      # get endpoint details
runpodctl serverless create        # create endpoint
runpodctl serverless update <id>   # update endpoint
runpodctl serverless delete <id>   # delete endpoint

3. File Transfer (`send` / `receive`)

runpodctl can be used to send files back and forth between the Pod and your local computer, or to send files back and forth between Pods.

To send a file, run the send command and you will receive a unique, one-time transfer code like 8338-galileo-collect-fidel. On the destination machine, use that code with the receive command.

# On the sender machine
runpodctl send data.txt
# Output: Code is: 8338-galileo-collect-fidel

# On the receiver machine
runpodctl receive 8338-galileo-collect-fidel

Note that you do not need to open any HTTP or TCP ports to use runpodctl — terminal access is enough.

4. Other Resource Management

Other resources managed by runpodctl include:

template (alias: tpl) — manage templates
network-volume (alias: nv) — manage network volumes
registry (alias: reg) — manage container registry auth
model — manage model repository

5. Info and Utility Commands

runpodctl user         # show account info and balance (alias: me)
runpodctl gpu          # list available GPU types
runpodctl datacenter   # list datacenters and availability (alias: dc)
runpodctl billing      # view billing history
runpodctl doctor       # diagnose and fix CLI issues
runpodctl ssh          # manage SSH keys and connections

6. SSH Key Management

runpodctl ssh add-key      # add an SSH public key to your account
runpodctl ssh list-keys    # list all added SSH keys

Output Formats

Default output is JSON (optimized for agents). Use the --output flag for alternatives:

runpodctl pod list                   # JSON (default)
runpodctl pod list --output=table    # human-readable table
runpodctl pod list --output=yaml     # YAML format

RunPod Projects — Dockerless Serverless Workflow

RunPod introduced a “Dockerless” feature in runpodctl version 1.11.0+, which simplifies the AI development process by allowing you to deploy custom endpoints on the serverless platform without the complexities of Docker.

The process involves:

Configuring runpodctl with your API key
Creating a new project (prompts for settings and creates a project folder)
Starting a development session
Deploying your serverless endpoint

Project files generated include:

.runpodignore — specifies files to exclude during deployment
builder/requirements.txt — pip dependencies
runpod.toml — project config and deployment settings

# Create a new project
runpodctl project create -n my-project && cd my-project

# Start a development session (auto-syncs code changes)
runpodctl project dev

# Deploy as a serverless endpoint
runpodctl project deploy

This establishes a connection between your local environment and a RunPod Pod. Changes to your code are automatically synced to the Pod, allowing for real-time testing without rebuilding Docker images.

Pod Configuration via JSON (Advanced)

You can create pods using a JSON configuration file. Three example types exist: minimal, full, and spot/interruptible. All pod configuration fields are optional with sensible defaults.

Example JSON config:

{
  "name": "Dev Pod",
  "imageName": "runpod/pytorch:2.0.0-py3.10-cuda11.8.0-devel-ubuntu22.04",
  "cloudType": "SECURE",
  "gpuTypeIds": ["NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090"],
  "gpuCount": 1,
  "containerDiskInGb": 50,
  "volumeInGb": 100,
  "ports": ["8888/http", "22/tcp"]
}

runpod-cli pods create --config my-pod.json

CI/CD Integration

RunPod’s MLOps integration centers around comprehensive API and CLI support for CI/CD pipeline integration. The platform works with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, and CircleCI through RESTful API calls and command-line interfaces.

You can automate deployment by storing your API key as a secret in your CI/CD system and invoking runpodctl commands in pipeline steps — for example, launching a pod after tests pass, or deploying a new serverless endpoint version.

Getting Help

runpodctl help                # general help
runpodctl [command] help      # help for a specific command
runpodctl doctor              # diagnose and fix issues

Summary Table

Category	Commands
Pod lifecycle	`pod list`, `pod get`, `pod create`, `pod start`, `pod stop`, `pod delete`
Serverless	`serverless list/get/create/update/delete`
File transfer	`send`, `receive`
Projects	`project create`, `project dev`, `project deploy`
Storage	`network-volume` (alias `nv`)
SSH	`ssh add-key`, `ssh list-keys`
Info	`user`, `gpu`, `datacenter`, `billing`
Utilities	`doctor`, `update`, `version`

References:

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