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Getting Started with the Core CLI

airborne-core-cli is the Airborne Core CLI — a low-level, thin client over the Airborne API. It is generated directly from the Airborne Smithy API model, so it mirrors the API one-to-one: every operation (organisations, applications, dimensions, files, packages, releases, and user) is exposed as a command with the same parameters as the underlying request.

Use the Core CLI when you want direct, scriptable access to individual API operations — for example in CI pipelines, automation, or when integrating Airborne into a non-React-Native workflow.

Core CLI vs. React Native CLI​

There are two Airborne CLIs, and they are distinct:

  • Core CLI (airborne-core-cli) — the low-level, generated client documented here. You configure a base URL, obtain a token with PostLogin, and pass that token to each command via --token.
  • React Native CLI (airborne-devkit) — a high-level workflow tool for React Native projects. It scaffolds config, bundles JS, uploads files, and creates releases. It also re-exposes every Core CLI operation, injecting your stored token automatically so you don't pass --token. See Getting started with the React Native CLI.

If you are shipping OTA updates to a React Native app, start with airborne-devkit. If you need raw access to the API, use airborne-core-cli.

Installation​

Install the CLI with npm:

# Install locally in your project
npm install airborne-core-cli

# Or install globally for system-wide access
npm install -g airborne-core-cli
  • Local install — run commands with npx airborne-core-cli <command>.
  • Global install — run commands directly as airborne-core-cli <command>.

This guide uses the airborne-core-cli <command> form.

Configure the API base URL​

Before running any operation, point the CLI at an Airborne API endpoint with configure. This is typically the first command you run.

airborne-core-cli configure --base-url <url>

Parameters:

ParameterRequiredDescription
-u, --base-urlYesBase URL of the Airborne API endpoint.

Examples:

# Hosted Airborne API
airborne-core-cli configure --base-url https://airborne.juspay.in

# Self-hosted server
airborne-core-cli configure --base-url http://localhost:3000

The base URL is persisted to a .config file alongside the CLI package and is reused by every subsequent command. Re-run configure at any time to change it.

note

The Core CLI shares this configuration with airborne-devkit. If you set the base URL through either CLI, both use it.

Authenticate​

Operations require a bearer token. You obtain one with the PostLogin command using a client ID and client secret generated from the dashboard, then pass the token to other commands via --token. See Authentication for the full flow, and access tokens in the dashboard for obtaining credentials.

Input methods​

Every command supports three ways of supplying parameters:

  • Individual flags — --application myapp --organisation myorg
  • JSON parameters file — airborne-core-cli CreateApplication @params.json
  • Mixed — airborne-core-cli CreateApplication @params.json --application override-value (flags override matching keys in the file)

The parameters file must have a .json extension and be referenced with a leading @. See the command reference for per-command details.

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