We have news! Spark has rebranded as Particle. Learn More

spark-cli is now deprecated. particle-cli is now the go-to CLI tool. Install it now by running `npm install -g particle-cli`

Known Issues

Version 1.4.0 of Spark CLI includes Photon setup support for OS X only at the moment. Windows and Linux support are imminent.
Wireless setup of Photons on OS X will trigger several 'networksetup' dialogs which prompt you to enter your system password. This is due to the fact that the CLI is now automagically managing Wi-Fi connections for a more 'wizard-like' setup experience. A manual mode will be introduced shortly for those that would rather perform setup steps themselves.

Spark CLI (deprecated)

The Spark CLI is a powerful tool for interacting with your devices and the Spark Cloud. The CLI uses node.js and can run on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux fairly easily. It's also open source so you can edit and change it, and even send in your changes as pull requests if you want to share!

Installing

First, make sure you have node.js installed!

Next, open a command prompt or terminal, and install by typing:

$ npm install -g spark-cli
$ spark cloud login

Note! If you have problems running this, make sure you using Terminal / the Command Prompt as an Administator, or try using sudo

$ sudo npm install -g spark-cli

Install (advanced)

To use the local flash and key features you'll need to install dfu-util (note the normal main page http://dfu-util.gnumonks.org/ is still down), and openssl. They are freely available and open-source, and there are installers and binaries for most major platforms as well.

Here are some great tutorials on the community for full installs:

Installing on Ubuntu

Installing on Windows

Installing on Mac OS X:

Rather than installing these packages from source, and instead of using MacPorts, it is relatively straightforward to use Homebrew to install dfu-util, openssl, and libusb (required for dfu-util). Once you have installed brew the basic command for each is brew install dfu-util . For the final step of openssl you will need to do sudo brew install openssl and enter your admin password.

Upgrading

To upgrade Spark-CLI, enter the following command:

$ npm update -g spark-cli

Running from source (advanced)

To grab the CLI source and play with it locally

git clone git@github.com:spark/spark-cli.git
cd spark-cli
npm install
node app.js help

Getting Started

These next two commands are all you need to get started setting up an account, claiming a device, and discovering new features.

spark setup

Guides you through creating a new account, and claiming your device!

$ spark setup

spark help

Shows you what commands are available, and how to use them. You can also give the name of a command for detailed help.

$ spark help
$ spark help keys

Apply the CC3000 patch

The easiest way to apply the CC3000 patch is to flash the known "cc3000" firmware followed by the "tinker" firmware over USB. Note, this process will soon be replaced by "deep update" that will streamline and simplify this process further. (see next section)

1.) Make sure you have dfu-util installed

2.) Connect your core via usb, and place it into dfu mode by holding both buttons, and releasing reset, keep holding mode until your core flashes yellow.

3.) Run spark flash --usb cc3000

This will run a special firmware program that will update the firmware running inside the CC3000 WiFi module. When it's done running, your core will be blinking yellow in dfu-mode, you'll need to flash regular firmware like Tinker to get connected and developing again.

4.) Run spark flash --usb tinker

This will flash a new version of Tinker to your core and return to a blinking blue "listening" state, where you can:

5.) Run spark setup or spark setup wifi to provide your network credentials to get connected again.

Performing a "Deep update"

Any core shipped before Summer 2014 would benefit from having this update applied at least once. It improves the core's performance on very busy networks, and helps fix other minor issues. This update now ships with the cli so you can apply it to cores that are unable to get online otherwise.

1.) Make sure you have dfu-util installed

2.) Connect your core via usb, and place it into dfu mode by holding both buttons, and releasing reset, keep holding mode until your core flashes yellow.

3.) Run spark flash --usb deep_update_2014_06

4.) Your core should reboot and try to connect to any previously saved wifi networks, and then update itself again.

Command Reference

spark setup wifi

Helpful shortcut for adding another wifi network to a device connected over USB. Make sure your device is connected via a USB cable, and is slow blinking blue listening mode

$ spark setup wifi

spark login

$ spark login

spark logout

Logout and optionally revoke the access token for your CLI session.

$ spark logout

spark list

Generates a list of what devices you own, and displays information about their status, including what variables and functions are available

$ spark list
 
Checking with the cloud...
Retrieving devices... (this might take a few seconds)
my_device_name (0123456789ABCDEFGHI) 0 variables, and 4 functions
  Functions:
    int digitalwrite(string)
    int digitalread(string)
    int analogwrite(string)
    int analogread(string)

spark core add

Adds a new core to your account

$ spark cloud claim 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
Claiming device 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
Successfully claimed device 0123456789ABCDEFGHI

spark core rename

Assigns a new name to a core you've claimed

$ spark core rename 0123456789ABCDEFGHI "pirate frosting"

spark core remove

Removes a core from your account so someone else can claim it.

$ spark core remove 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
Are you sure?  Please Type yes to continue: yes
releasing device 0123456789ABCDEFGHI
server said  { ok: true }
Okay!

spark flash

Sends a firmware binary, a source file, or a directory of source files, or a known app to your device.

Note! When sending source code, the cloud compiles .ino and .cpp files differently. For .ino files, the cloud will apply a pre-processor. It will add missing function declarations, and it will inject an #include " application.h" line at the top of your files if it is missing.

If you want to build a library that can be used for both Arduino and Spark, here's a useful code snippet:

#if defined(ARDUINO) && ARDUINO >= 100
#include "Arduino.h"
#elif defined(SPARK)
#include "application.h"
#endif

Flashing a directory

You can setup a directory of source files and libraries for your project, and the CLI will use those when compiling remotely. You can also create spark.include and / or a spark.ignore file in that directory that will tell the CLI specifically which files to use or ignore.

$ spark flash 0123456789ABCDEFGHI my_project

Flashing one or more source files

You can include any number of individual source files after the device id, and the CLI will include them while flashing your app.

$ spark flash 0123456789ABCDEFGHI app.ino library1.cpp library1.h

Flashing a known app

You can easily reset a device back to a previous existing app with a quick command. Three app names are reserved right now: "tinker", "voodoo", and "cc3000". Tinker is the original firmware that ships with the device, and cc3000 will patch the wifi module on your Core. Voodoo is a build of VoodooSpark to allow local wireless firmata control of a device.

$ spark flash 0123456789ABCDEFGHI tinker
$ spark flash 0123456789ABCDEFGHI cc3000
$ spark flash 0123456789ABCDEFGHI voodoo

You can also update the factory reset version using the --factory flag, and over usb with --usb

$ spark flash --factory tinker
$ spark flash --usb tinker

Compiling remotely and Flashing locally

To work locally, but use the cloud compiler, simply use the compile command, and then the local flash command after. Make sure you connect your device via USB and place it into dfu mode.

$ spark compile my_project_folder --saveTo firmware.bin
OR
$ spark compile app.ino library1.cpp library1.h --saveTo firmware.bin
$ spark flash --usb firmware.bin

spark compile

Compiles one or more source file, or a directory of source files, and downloads a firmware binary.

Note! The cloud compiles .ino and .cpp files differently. For .ino files, the cloud will apply a pre-processor. It will add missing function declarations, and it will inject an #include " application.h" line at the top of your files if it is missing.

If you want to build a library that can be used for both Arduino and Spark, here's a useful code snippet:

#if defined(ARDUINO) && ARDUINO >= 100
#include "Arduino.h"
#elif defined(SPARK)
#include "application.h"
#endif

compiling a directory

$ spark compile my_project_folder

example spark.include

application.cpp
library1.h
library1.cpp

example spark.ignore

.ds_store
logo.png
old_version.cpp

Compiling one or more source files

You can include any number of individual source files after the device id, and the CLI will include them while compiling your app.

$ spark compile app.ino library1.cpp library1.h

Compiling in a directory containing project files

This will push all the files in a directory that the command line is currently 'cd' in for compilation.

$ spark compile .

spark call

Calls a function on one of your devices, use spark list to see which devices are online, and what functions are available.

$ spark call 0123456789ABCDEFGHI digitalwrite "D7,HIGH"
1

spark get

Retrieves a variable value from one of your devices, use spark list to see which devices are online, and what variables are available.

$ spark get 0123456789ABCDEFGHI temperature
72.1

spark monitor

Pulls the value of a variable at a set interval, and optionally display a timestamp

Minimum delay for now is 500 (there is a check anyway if you keyed anything less)
hitting CTRL + C in the console will exit the monitoring

$ spark monitor 0123456789ABCDEFGHI temperature 5000
$ spark monitor 0123456789ABCDEFGHI temperature 5000 --time
$ spark monitor all temperature 5000
$ spark monitor all temperature 5000 --time
$ spark monitor all temperature 5000 --time > my_temperatures.csv

spark identify

Retrieves your device id when the device is connected via USB and in listening mode (flashing blue).

$ spark identify
$ spark identify 1
$ spark identify COM3
$ spark identify /dev/cu.usbmodem12345
 
$ spark identify
0123456789ABCDEFGHI

spark subscribe

Subscribes to published events on the cloud, and pipes them to the console. Special device name "mine" will subscribe to events from just your cores.

$ spark subscribe
$ spark subscribe mine
$ spark subscribe eventName
$ spark subscribe eventName mine
$ spark subscribe eventName deviceName
$ spark subscribe eventName 0123456789ABCDEFGHI

spark serial list

Shows currently connected devices acting as serial devices over USB

$ spark serial list

spark serial monitor

Starts listening to the specified serial device, and echoes to the terminal

$ spark serial monitor
$ spark serial monitor 1
$ spark serial monitor COM3
$ spark serial monitor /dev/cu.usbmodem12345

spark keys doctor

Helps you update your keys, or recover your device when the keys on the server are out of sync with the keys on your device. The spark keys tools requires both dfu-util, and openssl to be installed.

Connect your device in dfu mode, and run this command to replace the unique cryptographic keys on your device. Automatically attempts to send the new public key to the cloud as well.

$ spark keys doctor 0123456789ABCDEFGHI

There have been reports of the new public key not being sent to the cloud, in which case spark keys send will need to be run manually.

spark keys new

Generates a new public / private keypair that can be used on a device.

$ spark keys new
running openssl genrsa -out device.pem 1024
running openssl rsa -in device.pem -pubout -out device.pub.pem
running openssl rsa -in device.pem -outform DER -out device.der
New Key Created!
 
$ spark keys new mykey
running openssl genrsa -out mykey.pem 1024
running openssl rsa -in mykey.pem -pubout -out mykey.pub.pem
running openssl rsa -in mykey.pem -outform DER -out mykey.der
New Key Created!

spark keys load

Copies a .DER formatted private key onto your device's external flash. Make sure your device is connected and in dfu mode. The spark keys tools requires both dfu-util, and openssl to be installed. Make sure any key you load is sent to the cloud with spark keys send device.pub.pem

$ spark keys load device.der
...
Saved!

spark keys save

Copies a .DER formatted private key from your device's external flash to your computer. Make sure your device is connected and in dfu mode. The spark keys tools requires both dfu-util, and openssl to be installed.

$ spark keys save device.der
...
Saved!

spark keys send

Sends a device's public key to the cloud for use in opening an encrypted session with your device. Please make sure your device has the corresponding private key loaded using the spark keys load command.

$ spark keys send 0123456789ABCDEFGHI device.pub.pem
submitting public key succeeded!

spark keys server

Switches the server public key stored on the device's external flash. This command is important when changing which server your device is connecting to, and the server public key helps protect your connection. Your device will stay in DFU mode after this command, so that you can load new firmware to connect to your server.

$ spark keys server my_server.der
Okay!  New keys in place, your device will not restart.

spark keys server ip_address

When using the local cloud you can ask the CLI to encode the IP or dns address into your key to control where your device will connect.

$ spark keys server my_server.pub.pem 192.168.1.10
$ spark keys server my_server.der 192.168.1.10

spark config

The config command lets you create groups of settings and quickly switch to a profile by calling spark config profile-name. This is especially useful for switching to your local server or between other environments.

Calling spark config spark will switch Spark-Cli back to the Spark Cloud API server.

$ spark config profile-name
$ spark config spark
$ spark config local apiUrl http://localhost:8080  //creates a new profile with name "local" and saves the IP-address parameter
$ spark config useSudoForDfu true

Calling spark config identify will output your current config settings.

$ spark config identify
Current profile: spark
Using API: https://api.spark.io
Access token: e671fadd500a8a3921bb78c8d0400d7ba450a847

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