How to run LibrePortal commands
You almost never need to. This is for the day you want to, in plain steps.
What a command is#
A command is an instruction you type instead of clicking. You type a line of text, press Enter, and the computer does what it says. It's the same job as pressing a button in the WebUI, just written down.
Do I need this?#
Almost certainly not. The WebUI does everything you'll normally want: installing apps, backups, updates, settings. Wherever a page in this guide shows a command, it's tucked into a box marked Advanced, closed by default. You can ignore every one of them and lose nothing.
Commands are for the few times you'd want one: you've lost the WebUI login, the WebUI itself won't open, or you like working that way.
Opening a terminal#
A terminal is a window where you type commands. You need one that's talking to your server, not to the computer you're sitting at (unless they're the same machine).
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If the server is the computer in front of you, open its Terminal app from the applications menu.
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If the server is somewhere else, open a terminal on your own computer. On Windows 10 and 11 that's Windows Terminal or PowerShell; on a Mac it's Terminal; on Linux you already know.
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Connect to the server with SSH. Type this, using your own username and the server's address, then press Enter:
ssh yourname@192.168.1.50 -
Type your password when asked. Nothing appears on screen as you type. That's normal, it's hiding it. Press Enter.
Why it works this way
SSH is a safe, encrypted way to reach another computer's terminal. If you installed LibrePortal on a rented server or a spare machine, you probably used it already, or whoever set it up gave you the address.
Running a LibrePortal command#
Once you're at the server's prompt, copy a command from this guide, paste it into the terminal and press Enter. Commands in this guide start with sudo -u libreportal libreportal, which means "run LibrePortal's tool as the LibrePortal user". Copy the whole line.
sudo -u libreportal libreportal help
That lists what's available. If you're asked for a password, it's the server account's password, not the WebUI's.
Tip
Pasting into a terminal is usually Ctrl+Shift+V, or Cmd+V on a Mac. If something goes wrong, nothing is broken by a typo: the command just says it didn't understand. Try again.
When you're done, type exit and press Enter to leave the server. The full list of commands is in The command line.