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# The Console

The console offers the option to:

# Accessing the Console

The method to access the console depends on how openHAB was started.

  • When started in interactive mode using the provided command line scripts (e.g. start.sh or start.bat), openHAB naturally transitions directly to the console prompt.
  • When started as a service (i.e. when openHAB is running as a background process), access to the console is given by running the $OPENHAB_RUNTIME/bin/client (client.bat for Windows) script or by connecting via SSH. Linux package based installations can also use the command openhab-cli console.

The default username/password is openhab:habopen, so enter habopen at the password prompt.

# Connecting via SSH

The console can also be reached via secure shell connection (SSH).

To reach the console using SSH, use the following command to connect to the localhost interface on TCP port 8101:

ssh -p 8101 openhab@localhost

Note

By default, connection is only allowed from localhost, i.e. only from the machine running openHAB. Connections are intentionally not allowed from remote hosts due to security concerns. To change this, see Bind Console to All Interfaces.

A security warning is expected upon the first connection:

The authenticity of host '[localhost]:8101 ([127.0.0.1]:8101)' can't be established.
RSA key fingerprint is SHA256:XjQxBPit+K5m3HuSsEUI/842NTCxLTu3EMGGBuQKNVg.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Enter yes to proceed.

Warning: Permanently added '[localhost]:8101' (RSA) to the list of known hosts.
Password authentication
Password:

The default username/password is openhab:habopen, so enter habopen at the password prompt.

The first successful connection triggers generation of the Karaf remote console key and will take a few seconds longer than subsequent attempts.

Note

On slower systems, such as Raspberry Pi or Pine64, this first SSH connection may even time out. If this happens, simply try connecting again until successful.

# Using the Console

After successful connection and authentication, the console will appear:

                          __  _____    ____
  ____  ____  ___  ____  / / / /   |  / __ )
 / __ \/ __ \/ _ \/ __ \/ /_/ / /| | / __  |
/ /_/ / /_/ /  __/ / / / __  / ___ |/ /_/ /
\____/ .___/\___/_/ /_/_/ /_/_/  |_/_____/
    /_/                        2.2.0
                               Release Build

Hit '<tab>' for a list of available commands
and '[cmd] --help' for help on a specific command.
Hit '<ctrl-d>' or type 'system:shutdown' or 'logout' to shutdown openHAB.

openhab>

The command help is listing all available commands or describes a specific subsystem/command:

openhab> help
...
openhab> help bundle
...
openhab> help bundle:stop
...

The console also supports auto-completion during input. Auto-completion proposes possible commands based on the current input and is triggered by a <TAB> press on your keyboard. So for example entering "bund" and pressing the <TAB> key will first extend to the only viable candidate "bundle", a subsequent <TAB> press will result in:

openhab> bundle
bundle                   bundle:capabilities      bundle:classes           bundle:diag              bundle:dynamic-import
bundle:find-class        bundle:headers           bundle:id                bundle:info              bundle:install
bundle:list              bundle:load-test         bundle:refresh           bundle:requirements      bundle:resolve
bundle:restart           bundle:services          bundle:start             bundle:start-level       bundle:stop
bundle:tree-show         bundle:uninstall         bundle:update            bundle:watch

Another useful feature is the combination of the | (pipe) and grep functionality, which can be used to filter output:

openhab> bundle:list | grep openHAB
164 | Active    |  90 | 2.0.0.201607210102    | openHAB Core
165 | Active    |  80 | 2.0.0.201607210102    | openHAB Karaf Integration
195 | Active    |  80 | 2.0.0.201607210102    | openHAB 1.x Compatibility Layer
196 | Active    |  80 | 2.0.0.201607210102    | openHAB REST Documentation

The session is ended by using the logout command:

openhab> logout

Learn about all available commands by using the initially introduced help command.

# Modifying the Console Settings

Changing the console password, interface, and port is described here.

# Console Settings Files and Directories

The pertinent files controlling console settings are stored under $OPENHAB_USERDATA/etc/:

File Purpose
org.apache.karaf.shell.cfg Controls most console settings
users.properties Stores console password

The exact locations of these files will vary based on your platform and installation method, e.g. /var/lib/openhab2/etc/ or openhab2/userdata/etc/.

Be aware that the these files may get overwritten when upgrading openHAB. To add custom parameters or overwrite the default values, you can change the configuration file runtime.cfg which can be found in the $OPENHAB_CONF/services directory, e.g. /etc/openhab2/services/runtime.cfg.

# Changing the Password

The password is stored in the file users.properties, located in the etc directory as mentioned above. By default, the line with the password contains the text openhab =, followed by the current password (e.g. habopen) or a password hash (e.g. {CRYPT}4AE1A0FD...{CRYPT}).

To change the authentication password edit the file manually, replacing the password or password hash (including {CRYPT}) with your new password in clear text. Alternately, run the following Linux shell command, which will perform the replacement for you. Substitute securePassword with your desired password.

sudo sed -i -e "s/openhab = .*,/openhab = securePassword,/g" /var/lib/openhab2/etc/users.properties

Depending on your system, you may have to change the directory at the end of the command. Please restart openHAB for the changes to take effect. The clear text password will be replaced by a unique cryptographic password hash.

# Bind Console to All Interfaces

The network interface configuration is defined in the file org.apache.karaf.shell.cfg, located in the etc directory as mentioned above. As this file may get overwritten when upgrading openHAB, you can change this parameter in the runtime.cfg file which can be found in the $OPENHAB_CONF/services directory, e.g. /etc/openhab2/services/runtime.cfg.

The sshHost entry controls the interface address to bind to. sshHost = 127.0.0.1 (localhost) is the default due to obvious security reasons. If you are on a local network or you are fully aware of all risks of exposing your system to the public, you can change the bind address. Replace the sshHost IP 127.0.0.1 by 0.0.0.0 to bind to all available network interfaces. Please be aware, that the console will now be accessible from all devices in your subnet and is only secured by the password defined in users.properties (same path). You should thereby change the password. Depending on your network configuration the console may also be exposed to the public internet, so check your routing and firewall configuration.

To enable binding to all interfaces, uncomment the line

#org.apache.karaf.shell:sshHost = 0.0.0.0

in services/runtime.cfg.

# Change the Port Number

The SSH port configuration is done through the file org.apache.karaf.shell.cfg, located in the etc directory as mentioned above. The sshPort entry controls the port number. sshPort = 8101 is the default, but can be changed to any available port per your choosing.

Alternately, run the following Linux shell command, which will perform the replacement for you. Substitute 1234 with your desired port number. Depending on your system, you may have to substitute the directory at the end of the command.

sudo sed -i -e "s/sshPort = .*/sshPort = 1234/g" /var/lib/openhab2/etc/org.apache.karaf.shell.cfg

Please check the Apache Karaf reference for more details.

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