CLI Reference - Phala

The Phala Cloud CLI (phala) is a command-line tool for deploying and managing Confidential Virtual Machines (CVMs) on Phala Cloud. For installation and quick start, see Getting Started with the CLI.

Authentication

Command	Description
`login`	Authenticate with Phala Cloud
`logout`	Remove stored API key
`status`	Check authentication status
`whoami`	Print the current user
`profiles`	List auth profiles
`switch`	Switch auth profiles

Deployment

Command	Description
`deploy`	Deploy new CVM or update existing one
`instance-types`	List available instance types

App Management

Command	Description
`apps`	List deployed CVMs
`cvms`	Manage CVMs (start, stop, restart, delete, resize, …)
`link`	Link a local directory to a CVM
`nodes`	List TEE worker nodes
`ssh-keys`	Manage SSH keys (list, add, remove, import from GitHub)

CVM Operations

Command	Description
`logs`	Fetch logs from a CVM (container, serial, stdout/stderr)
`ps`	List containers of a CVM
`ssh`	Connect to a CVM via SSH
`cp`	Copy files to/from a CVM via SCP
`runtime-config`	Show CVM runtime configuration

Advanced

Command	Description
`api`	Make authenticated API requests
`self`	CLI self-management (update)
`config`	Manage local CLI configuration
`docker`	Docker image build/push helpers
`simulator`	Local TEE simulator for development
`completion`	Generate shell completion scripts

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
`PHALA_CLOUD_API_KEY`	Override the stored API key
`PHALA_CLOUD_API_PREFIX`	Override the API base URL
`PHALA_CLOUD_DIR`	Override the credentials directory (default: `~/.phala-cloud`)
`PHALA_UPDATE_CHANNEL`	Release channel for `self update` (e.g., `latest`, `beta`)

Configuration

Project config: phala.toml in working directory (see deploy)
Credentials: ~/.phala-cloud/

phala loginAuthenticate with Phala Cloud.

Authentication
Deployment
App Management
CVM Operations
Advanced
Environment Variables
Configuration