Introduction
IPMItool is used to access the capabilities of IPMI – the Intelligent Platform Management Interface, a system interface that manages and monitors out-of-band computer systems. It is a command prompt that controls and configures IPMI-supported devices.
In this tutorial, learn how to install IPMItool on a Linux based CentOS or Ubuntu system and get started with IPMI commands.
Note: To learn more about IMPI, read our Comprehensive Guide to Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).
Prerequisites
- A user account with sudo privileges
- Access to the command line/ terminal window
- A Linux CentOS or Ubuntu system
Installing IPMItool on RedHat or CentOS with yum
Installing IPMItool is a simple two-step process of downloading the software package and enabling the ipmitool access.
Step 1: Install IPMItool
1. Before you start, make sure to update system repositories with:
yum update2. Install IPMItool on a CentOS or RedHat system by running the command:
yum install OpenIPMI ipmitoolWait for the installation to complete. The output should indicate that OpenIPMItool and IPMItool have been installed. You should see the version number of the software installed.
Step 2: Enable the Service
Once you have completed the installation, enable ipmitool access by running the command:
/sbin/chkconfig ipmi onNote: Learn more on how to use Linux chkconfig command.
Then start the ipmitool service with the command:
service ipmi startInstalling IPMItool on Ubuntu with apt
1. First, update Ubuntu’s package repository by running:
sudo apt update2. Install IPMItool on Ubuntu by using the following command:
sudo apt install ipmitool
Your Ubuntu system should start the ipmi daemon automatically.
IPMItool Commands Cheat Sheet
General IPMItool Commands
| IPMItool Command | Description |
|---|---|
ipmitool help | Shows help info for IPMItool |
ipmitool mc info | Checks firmware version |
ipmitool mc reset [warm/cold] | Resets the management controller |
ipmitool fru print | Displays field-replaceable-unit details |
Sensor Output IPMItool Commands
| Sensor Output Command | Description |
|---|---|
ipmitool sdr list | List all sensor names on the system. Each sensor will be mapped to its corresponding sensor number |
ipmitool sdr type list | List all sensor types on the system. |
ipmitool sdr type Fan | List all fan type sensors on the system. |
ipmitool sdr type "Power Supply" | List all power supply type sensors on the system. |
ipmitool sdr type Temperature | List all temperature type sensors on the system. |
Chassis Commands
| Chassis IPMItoll Commands | Description |
|---|---|
ipmitool chassis status ipmitool chassis identify [] | Turns on front panel identify light |
ipmitool [chassis] power soft | A soft-shutdown via acpi |
ipmitool [chassis] power cycle | A combination of a hard power off, 1-second wait, then power on |
ipmitool [chassis] power off | A hard power off |
ipmitool [chassis] power on | A hard power on |
ipmitool [chassis] power reset | A hard reset |
Modify Boot Device Commands
| Modify Boot Device | Description |
|---|---|
ipmitool chassis bootdev pxe | Modify the boot order to boot pxe first |
ipmitool chassis bootdev cdrom | Modify the boot order to boot cdrom first |
ipmitool chassis bootdev bios | Modify the boot order to boot bios first |
Logging IPMItool Commands
| Logging IPMItools Commands | Description |
|---|---|
ipmitool sel info | Returns general information on system event logs |
ipmitool sel list | Returns a list of system event logs |
ipmitool sel elist | Returns a list of system event logs cross-referenced with sensor data logs |
ipmitool sel get ID | Returns detailed information on a particular event log (use event ID to specify which log) |
ipmitool sel clear | Clear event logs |
Conclusion
This article showed you how to install IPMItool on your CenotOS or Ubuntu Linux system. You can now get started with IPMI and its command prompt using the commands above as a reference sheet. Our dedicated server hosting offers full control, including IMPI support.
