The command line is intended for developers only. Developers can use the command
line to test and debug Blockstack applications in ways that the Blockstack
Browser does not yet support. Using the command line, developers can:

* Generate and Broadcast all supported types of Blockstack transactions
* Load, store, and list data in Gaia hubs
* Generate owner, payment and application keys from a seed phrase
* Query Blockstack core nodes
* Implement a minimum viable authentication flow

{% include warning.html content="Many of the commands operate on unencrypted
private keys. For this reason, DO NOT use this tool for day-to-day tasks as you
risk the security of your keys." %}

You must <a href="#installCommandLine">install the command line</a> before you
can use the commands. 

## List of commands
{:.no_toc}

To see the usage and options for the command in general, enter `blockstack-cli` without any subcommands. To see a list of subcommands enter `blockstack-cli help`. Enter `blockstack-cli SUBCOMMAND_NAME help` to see a subcommand with its usage. The following are the available subcommands:

* TOC
{:toc}


{% for entry in site.data.cliRef %}
## {{ entry.command }}

**Group**: {{ entry.group }}

{{ entry.usage }}

### Arguments
{:.no_toc}

<table class="uk-table uk-table-small uk-table-striped">
<tr>
  <th>Name</th>
  <th>Type</th>
  <th>Value</th>
  <th>Format</th>
</tr>
  {% for arg in entry.args %}
<tr>
<td class="uk-text-bold">{{ arg.name }}</td>
<td>{{ arg.type }}</td>
<td>{{ arg.value }}</td>
<td><code style="font-size:10px">{{ arg.format }}</code></td>
</tr>

  {% endfor %}
</table>

{% endfor %}

<p><a name="installCommandLine">&nbsp;</a></p>

##  How to install the command line
{:.no_toc}

You must have [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/en/download/) v8 or higher (v10 recommended). MacOS and Linux users can avoid `sudo` or [permissions problems](https://docs.npmjs.com/resolving-eacces-permissions-errors-when-installing-packages-globally) or by using [`nvm`](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm). These instructions assume you are using a macOS or Linux system. 

To install the command line, do the following:

1. <a href="https://github.com/blockstack/cli-blockstack" target="\_blank">Download or `git clone` the command line repository code</a>.  

   Downloading or cloning the repo creates a `cli-blockstack` repository on your system.

2. Change directory into the `cli-blockstack` directory.

   ```
   cd cli-blockstack
  ```


3. Install the dependencies with `npm`.

   ```
   npm install
   ```

4. Build the command line command.

   ```
   npm run build
   ```

5. Link the command.

   ```
   sudo npm link
   ```

### Troubleshooting the CLI installation

If you run into `EACCES` permissions errors, try the following:
* See https://docs.npmjs.com/resolving-eacces-permissions-errors-when-installing-packages-globally.
* Use [`Node Version Manager`](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm).