To interact securely with the nanoctl CLI, users must authenticate using one of the supported methods. Depending on your use case—whether it’s CI/CD automation, local development, or quick testing—nanoctl offers flexible authentication options to suit your workflow. Each method supports the use of API tokens, with varying levels of interactivity, security, and persistence:
  • Environment Variable: Ideal for headless or automated environments.
  • Token Flag: Useful for short-lived sessions or scripting.
  • Interactive Prompt: Designed for secure, user-friendly local authentication with token storage.
Choose the method that best aligns with your development or deployment context.

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Authentication Methods

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1. Environment Variable

  • Best for: Automated environments, CI/CD pipelines Usage: 
    export NANOSERVICES_TOKEN="your_api_token_here"
npx nanoctl@latest login
    Behavior:
    • Automatically detects NANOSERVICES_TOKEN from the environment.
    • Non-interactive - runs silently.
    • Returns exit code 0 on success, non-zero on failure.
    • Token is not stored locally (uses the environment variable each time).

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2. Token Flag

  • Best for: Temporary sessions, quick testing Usage: 
    npx nanoctl@latest login --token "your_api_token_here"
npx nanoctl@latest login -t "your_api_token_here"
    Behavior:
    • Immediately authenticates with the provided token.
    • Token is not saved to disk.
    • Shows authentication result message.
    • Recommended to wrap the token in quotes to prevent shell history logging.

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3. Interactive Prompt

  • Best for: First-time setup, most secure local use Usage: 
    npx nanoctl@latest login
    Interactive Flow:
    • Command launches prompt:
    ◆ Please provide the token for authentication. You can create it on https://atomic.deskree.com/auth/access/token █
    Input is masked while typing.
    • Token is validated immediately:
      • On success:
        • Token is encrypted and stored.
        • Displays welcome message with username and expiration date.
      • On failure:
        • Shows specific error (e.g., invalid token, network issue).

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How to Log Out

To remove the stored authentication token and end the session, run: 
npx nanoctl@latest logout
This command deletes the locally saved token, ensuring that future nanoctl operations require re-authentication. It’s a recommended practice when switching users or revoking access on a shared environment.