generated: '2026-09-12'
method: searched
source: >-
  https://github.com/ITRS-Group/cordial/blob/main/tools/geneos/README.md and
  https://github.com/ITRS-Group/cordial/blob/main/tools/geneos/docs/geneos.md
specification: API Commons CLI
specificationVersion: '0.1'
provider: Geneos
providerId: geneos
cli:
  name: geneos
  official: true
  first_party: true
  repository: https://github.com/ITRS-Group/cordial
  docs: https://github.com/ITRS-Group/cordial/blob/main/tools/geneos/docs/geneos.md
  language: Go
  version: v1.29.2
  released: '2026-09-09'
  license: Apache-2.0 with additional ITRS terms (repo LICENSE, SPDX NOASSERTION)
  purpose: >-
    Manage a Geneos environment — install and update component releases, create
    and configure instances, start/stop/restart them, read logs, manage remote
    hosts over SSH/SFTP, and snapshot dataviews. It is the modern replacement for
    the legacy gatewayctl / netprobectl shell scripts, and it emulates their
    syntax when invoked under those names.
install:
  - method: direct binary download
    commands:
      - 'mkdir -p ${HOME}/bin && cd ${HOME}/bin'
      - 'curl -OL https://github.com/ITRS-Group/cordial/releases/latest/download/geneos'
      - 'chmod +x ./geneos'
      - 'export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"'
      - 'geneos version'
    note: >-
      The documented URL is the unpinned `releases/latest/download` redirect, so a
      user following the instructions cannot tell which version they installed
      until they run `geneos version`.
  - method: go install
    command: 'go install github.com/itrs-group/cordial/tools/geneos@latest'
    note: >-
      Derived from the module path published on proxy.golang.org, not quoted from
      ITRS documentation.
command_structure: 'geneos COMMAND [flags] [TYPE] [NAMES...]'
concepts:
  component: A stand-alone Geneos software release — gateway, netprobe, licd, webserver and so on. Referred to as TYPE.
  instance: A runnable copy of a component with its own working directory and configuration. Referred to as NAME.
  host: >-
    Where components are installed. There is always `localhost`; remote hosts are
    managed over SSH/SFTP through the `hosts` sub-system and addressed as NAME@HOST.
command_groups:
  - group: Control instances
    commands:
      - 'geneos start'
      - 'geneos stop'
      - 'geneos restart'
      - 'geneos reload (refresh)'
  - group: Inspect instances
    commands:
      - 'geneos list (ls)'
      - 'geneos ps (status)'
      - 'geneos show (details)'
      - 'geneos logs (log)'
      - 'geneos home'
      - 'geneos command'
  - group: Manage instances
    commands:
      - 'geneos clean'
      - 'geneos copy (cp)'
      - 'geneos move (mv, rename)'
      - 'geneos disable'
      - 'geneos enable'
      - 'geneos protect'
      - 'geneos reset'
  - group: Configure instances
    commands:
      - 'geneos add'
      - 'geneos deploy'
      - 'geneos delete (rm)'
      - 'geneos backup (save)'
      - 'geneos restore (load)'
      - 'geneos import'
      - 'geneos migrate'
      - 'geneos revert'
      - 'geneos rebuild'
      - 'geneos set'
      - 'geneos unset'
  - group: Credentials
    commands:
      - 'geneos login'
      - 'geneos logout'
  - group: Miscellaneous
    commands:
      - 'geneos snapshot'
      - 'geneos version'
      - 'geneos init'
  - group: Component types (each is also a sub-command)
    commands:
      - 'geneos gateway'
      - 'geneos netprobe'
      - 'geneos san'
      - 'geneos floating'
      - 'geneos minimal'
      - 'geneos router'
      - 'geneos licd'
      - 'geneos webserver'
      - 'geneos ac2'
      - 'geneos ca3'
      - 'geneos fa2'
      - 'geneos fileagent'
      - 'geneos sso-agent'
      - 'geneos md-gateway'
      - 'geneos tr-gateway'
key_flows:
  - name: Adopt an existing installation
    steps:
      - 'geneos config set geneos=/path/to/geneos   # typically /opt/itrs or /home/geneos'
      - 'geneos list'
    note: 'Skippable if ITRS_HOME is already set. `geneos list` is read-only and risk-free.'
  - name: Stand up a demo environment from scratch
    steps:
      - 'geneos init demo -u your-email@example.com'
    note: >-
      Requires a registered ITRS account for the software download. This is the
      closest thing Geneos has to a sandbox — see sandbox/geneos-sandbox.yml.
  - name: Migrate off the legacy *ctl scripts
    steps:
      - 'geneos migrate -X    # renames *ctl to .orig and symlinks them to geneos'
      - 'geneos revert -X     # reverses it'
    note: '`gatewayctl all start` is translated to `geneos start gateway all`.'
  - name: Snapshot a dataview from the command line
    steps:
      - 'geneos snapshot ...'
    note: >-
      Backed by pkg/geneos/commands, which speaks the Gateway REST command
      service. This is the CLI path to the same surface as
      POST /rest/snapshot/dataview.
related_tools:
  - name: gdna
    description: Geneos Dynamic Netprobe Analysis
  - name: dv2email
    description: Send a Dataview as an email
  - name: files2dv
    description: Scan directories and files for information
  - name: gateway-reporter
    description: Generate monitoring coverage reports from Gateway setup files
  - name: libemail
    description: Drop-in replacement for the legacy libemail action library
  - name: san-config
    description: Dynamic Self-Announcing Netprobe configuration file server (not yet fully integrated)
instance_protection:
  note: >-
    `geneos protect` marks instances as protected, blocking destructive commands
    against them. It is the one guard-rail in the CLI's own surface and is worth
    setting before any automation drives `geneos` against production instances.