Configure OpenStack CLI

Last update: May 30 2026

You can configure the CLI console client:

• using the operating system;
• 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 authorization in OpenStack API.

4. Configure authorization in 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 3.12.0. During installation, select the Add python.exe to PATH checkbox.

2. Install Microsoft C++ Build Tools. During installation, under Workloads 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 project resources via OpenStack API, add a service user with access in the Projects scope and a role:

• member;
• or reader.

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

3. Download the RC file

To configure authorization, you need to download the service user RC file.

1. In the control panel, on 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

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

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 with the RC file.

3. Apply the environment variables from the RC file:

   source <rcfile_name>

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

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

5. Verify that OpenStack CLI is working. To do this, open the list of cloud servers:

   openstack server list

   If cloud servers are created in the pool and project specified in the RC file, they will be listed in the response. If no servers have been created yet, an empty line will be returned.

Windows

1. Open cmd.

2. Add the 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> — the URL (address) for API authorization. The address depends on the region and pool; you can view it in the list of URLs;
   • <account_id> — account ID. You can view 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 (the name of the current project) → in the project line, click ;
   • <project_name> — project name. You can view it in the control panel: in the top menu, click Products and select Cloud Servers → open the projects menu (the name of the current project) → copy the project name;
   • <pool> — pool, for example ru-2. You will only be able to manage project infrastructure in this pool;
   • <user_name> — the name of the service user you added in step 2;
   • <user_password> — service user password. Once the user is created, you cannot view the password — you can only generate a new one. More info in the Change service user password section of the Change user data and role instruction.

3. Verify that OpenStack CLI is working. To do this, open the list of cloud servers:

   openstack server list

   If cloud servers are created in the pool and project specified in the variables, they will be listed in the response. If no servers have been created yet, an empty line will be returned.

Configure OpenStack CLI in a Docker container

1. Install Docker.

2. Add a service user.

3. Download the RC file for authorization in OpenStack API.

4. Install OpenStack CLI in a Docker container.

1. Install Docker

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

2. Add a service user

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

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

1. In the control panel, on 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 the Dockerfile will be created.

3. Move the RC file to the directory:

   mv <rcfile_name> <docker_directory>

   Specify:

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

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

   nano Dockerfile

5. Add commands for installing OpenStack CLI to the Dockerfile:

   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/2024.2 \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/python-glanceclient.git@stable/2024.2 \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/python-octaviaclient.git@stable/2024.2 \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/python-manilaclient.git@unmaintained/zed \
                 git+https://github.com/openstack/osc-lib.git@stable/2024.2 \
         && apk del build-base linux-headers python3-dev libffi-dev openssl-dev git cargo iputils curl && rm -rf /var/cache
   
   CMD ["sh"]

6. Exit the nano text editor while saving changes: press Ctrl+X, 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 environment variables from the RC file:

    source <rcfile_name>

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

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

12. Verify that OpenStack CLI is working. To do this, open the list of cloud servers:

openstack server list

If cloud servers are created in the pool and project specified in the RC file, they will be listed in the response. If no servers have been created yet, an empty line will be returned.