NGC CLI installation: Quick Reference — Control Plane Installation and Configuration (NVIDIA-Certified Professional: AI Infrastructure)

NGC CLI Installation — Quick Reference

The NGC CLI (NVIDIA GPU Cloud Command Line Interface) is a critical tool for managing NVIDIA AI resources, including containers, models, and datasets. This quick reference provides essential facts, commands, and configuration tips for efficient installation and use within AI infrastructure deployments.

Key Concepts

• NGC CLI: Command-line interface to interact with NVIDIA's NGC catalog for AI containers, models, and other resources.
• Authentication: Requires an API key from the NVIDIA NGC website for secure access.
• Compatibility: Supports Linux distributions commonly used in AI infrastructure environments.

Prerequisites

• Linux OS with internet connectivity
• Python 3.6+ installed
• Docker installed and configured for GPU support
• Valid NVIDIA NGC account and API key

Installation Steps

1. Download the NGC CLI binary: wget https://ngc.nvidia.com/downloads/ngccli_linux.zip
2. Unzip the package: unzip ngccli_linux.zip
3. Move binary to a directory in PATH: sudo mv ngc /usr/local/bin/
4. Make executable: chmod +x /usr/local/bin/ngc

Configuration

• Generate API key: Log in to NGC website > User Profile > API Key
• Configure CLI with API key: ngc config set and enter the API key when prompted
• Verify configuration: ngc config list to confirm settings

Common Commands

• ngc registry image list — List available container images
• ngc registry image pull IMAGE_NAME — Pull container image locally
• ngc catalog model list — List AI models available
• ngc catalog model download MODEL_NAME — Download AI model
• ngc config set — Update configuration settings

Best Practices

• Keep NGC CLI updated regularly to access latest features and fixes
• Secure API keys and avoid sharing them publicly
• Integrate NGC CLI usage with container orchestration tools like Slurm for streamlined workflows
• Use GPU-enabled Docker with NVIDIA Container Toolkit for optimal performance

Troubleshooting Tips

• Permission errors: Ensure ngc binary has executable permissions
• Authentication failures: Verify API key validity and reconfigure if needed
• Network issues: Confirm internet access and proxy settings if applicable

Worked Example: Installing and Configuring NGC CLI

Step 1: Download and unzip CLI

wget https://ngc.nvidia.com/downloads/ngccli_linux.zip

unzip ngccli_linux.zip

Step 2: Move and set permissions

sudo mv ngc /usr/local/bin/

chmod +x /usr/local/bin/ngc

Step 3: Configure with API key

ngc config set (enter API key when prompted)

Step 4: Verify configuration

ngc config list

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