axis-cli

A command-line tool for controlling Axis IP cameras: general VAPIX control (params, PTZ, ACAPs, reboot), CamOverlay/CamStreamer/CamSwitcher management, and fleet-wide health checks — all from the terminal.

How_axis-cli_Automates_Camera_Fleets.mp4

Built on camstreamerlib v4, commander, and cli-table3.

Install

npm install
npm run build
npm link          # makes the `axis` command available globally

Or run it directly without linking: node dist/index.js <command>.

1. Save your cameras

Camera credentials are stored per-profile in ~/.axis-cli/config.json (mode 0600), so you only type them once.

# Local network camera
axis camera add q1656 --ip 192.168.1.50 --user root --pass mypassword

# HTTPS camera
axis camera add frontdoor --ip 192.168.1.60 --pass mypassword --tls

# Camera reached via CamStreamer Cloud (device-connect.net) instead of a local IP
axis camera add remote-cam --cloud-url https://xxxx.device-connect.net --cloud-token YOUR_DEVICE_ACCESS_TOKEN

axis camera list
axis camera remove q1656

Every command below takes the profile name you chose here, not a raw IP.

2. General VAPIX

axis info q1656                              # brand, firmware, serial, installed ACAPs
axis param get q1656 root.Brand.ProdFullName root.Network.eth0.IPAddress
axis param set q1656 root.Time.DST=yes
axis reboot q1656 --yes

3. PTZ

axis ptz presets q1656 -c 1
axis ptz goto q1656 "Home" -c 1
axis ptz position q1656 -c 1

4. ACAP applications

axis apps list q1656
axis apps start q1656 CamOverlay
axis apps stop q1656 CamOverlay
axis apps restart q1656 CamScripter

5. CamOverlay

axis overlay list q1656
axis overlay enable q1656 2
axis overlay disable q1656 2
axis overlay text q1656 2 temperature=22.5C humidity=45%

6. CamStreamer

axis stream show q1656 42448
axis stream start q1656 42448
axis stream stop q1656 42448

7. CamSwitcher

axis switcher list q1656
axis switcher switch q1656 MainView
axis switcher queue q1656 GateView
axis switcher queue-clear q1656

8. Fleet health

Runs across every saved camera profile and reports reachability, firmware, SD card status, and how many ACAPs are running — handy as a cron job or CamStreamer Scheduler / Claude Scheduled Task.

axis fleet health

9. Live events

axis events watch q1656     # prints VAPIX events (motion, I/O, ACAP events...) until Ctrl+C

10. Raw VAPIX escape hatch

For anything not wrapped above:

axis vapix get q1656 /axis-cgi/param.cgi action=list group=Image
axis vapix post q1656 /axis-cgi/restart.cgi

Notes

• --cloud-url/--cloud-token profiles authenticate via DEVICE_ACCESS_TOKEN instead of Basic/Digest auth, matching the CamStreamer Cloud (device-connect.net) proxy pattern. Live event watching (axis events watch) requires a local --ip profile since it opens a direct WebSocket to the camera.
• CamSwitcher control has no dedicated camstreamerlib wrapper in older library versions, but v4's CamSwitcherAPI exposes playlistSwitch/playlistQueuePush/etc. directly, which this CLI uses.
• Extend this by adding a new file under src/commands/, exporting a register*Commands(program) function, and wiring it into src/index.ts.