Complete ipmitool keyboard shortcuts and commands reference — 16 shortcuts across 3 categories. Quick reference cheat sheet for Windows & Mac.
ipmitool talks to a server's baseboard management controller — the chip that stays on when the OS is down — so these commands work when nothing else does: power a machine on remotely, read the hardware event log after a crash, watch the console over the network. Every command takes the same connection options (-I lanplus -H host -U user -P pass) or runs locally with none.
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ipmitool power status | Power status | Show the current chassis power state (on or off). |
| ipmitool power on | Power on | Power on the server chassis. |
| ipmitool power off | Power off | Hard power off the server immediately. |
| ipmitool power cycle | Power cycle | Power off, wait briefly, then power back on - the standard remote reboot. |
| ipmitool power reset | Hard reset | Issue a hard reset without a graceful OS shutdown. |
| ipmitool power soft | Soft shutdown | Initiate a graceful ACPI shutdown instead of a hard power-off. |
| ipmitool chassis identify | Identify light | Blink the front-panel identify LED for 15 seconds to locate the physical server. |
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ipmitool sensor list | Sensor readings | List detailed readings for every sensor: temperature, voltage, and fan speed. |
| ipmitool sdr list | Sensor data records | List all Sensor Data Repository entries, a different view from 'sensor list'. |
| ipmitool sel list | Event log | Print the System Event Log (SEL) history. |
| ipmitool sel clear | Clear event log | Clear the System Event Log after reviewing and resolving issues. |
| ipmitool fru print | Hardware inventory | Print field-replaceable-unit info: serial number, part number, and manufacturer. |
| Shortcut | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ipmitool lan print | Network config | Show the BMC's LAN channel configuration: IP address, MAC, and VLAN. |
| ipmitool user list | List users | List configured BMC user accounts and their privilege levels. |
| ipmitool mc info | Controller info | Show the management controller (BMC) firmware version and capabilities. |
| ipmitool sol activate | Serial-over-LAN | Open a remote serial console session to the server over the network. |
The most essential ipmitool shortcuts are: ipmitool power status (Power status), ipmitool power on (Power on), ipmitool power off (Power off).
These are command-line commands — type them in your terminal or console. Combine them with shell history search (Ctrl + R) and aliases to work even faster.
The ipmitool shortcut for power status is ipmitool power status. Show the current chassis power state (on or off).
Yes — use My Stack to combine ipmitool shortcuts with any other platform on this site into one printable reference, which is useful if your daily workflow spans several tools.
ipmitool power status reports on or off, and ipmitool power on and ipmitool power off act on the chassis like the front-panel button. ipmitool power soft asks the OS to shut down cleanly via ACPI; ipmitool power off cuts power immediately. ipmitool power cycle turns the machine off and back on, and ipmitool power reset pulses the reset line without removing power — the one to use when a hung kernel ignores everything else. ipmitool chassis identify blinks the locator LED so a technician can find the right machine in a rack.
ipmitool sel list prints the System Event Log — memory errors, thermal trips, power-supply failures, with timestamps — and is the record to read after an unexplained reboot. ipmitool sel clear empties it once the entries are noted. ipmitool sensor list shows current readings and thresholds for temperatures, fans and voltages, and ipmitool sdr list shows the same sensors from the sensor data repository in a compact form. ipmitool fru print lists field-replaceable units with part and serial numbers, which answers inventory questions without opening the case.
ipmitool lan print shows the BMC's IP configuration and ipmitool user list the accounts that can log in; both are the first checks when remote IPMI stops answering. ipmitool mc info prints the controller's firmware version. ipmitool sol activate opens Serial-over-LAN, a text console that shows BIOS output and the kernel's serial log, which is how you watch a boot from another continent; the escape sequence to leave is ~.. Keep the BMC on a management network — IPMI has a weak security history and should never face the internet.
Open your assistant with this page preloaded as the source — great for follow-up questions like "which of these work in other apps?"