> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.macstadium.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Output formats and Getting Help

> Use --help on any Orka CLI command for built-in documentation. Covers output format options: default table, -o wide, -o json, and -o yaml.

## Using Built-in Help

### Global Help

Every command in the Orka CLI has built-in help documentation that you can access using the `--help` or `-h` flag.

```bash theme={null}
# Get help for the main command
orka --help

# Get help for a specific command
orka vm --help

# Get help for a sub-command
orka vm deploy --help

# Get help for configuration commands
orka config --help
```

### Command Structure

The help output for each command typically includes:

* **Synopsis:** A brief description of what the command does
* **Usage:** The command syntax with required and optional parameters
* **Options:** Available flags and their descriptions
* **Examples:** Common usage examples
* **Sub-commands:** Related commands (if applicable)

### Finding Commands

Start with the main help to browse available command groups:

```bash theme={null}
orka --help
```

Then drill down into specific command groups:

```bash theme={null}
# View all VM-related commands
orka vm --help

# View all image-related commands
orka image --help

# View all node-related commands
orka node --help
```

## Understanding Output Formats

Many Orka CLI commands support multiple output formats to suit different use cases.

### Available Output Formats

| Format | Flag | Description | Best For |
| - | - | - | - |
| **Table** | `--output table` (default) | Human-readable table with essential information | Terminal viewing, quick status checks |
| **Wide** | `--output wide` | Extended table with additional columns and details | Detailed troubleshooting, viewing all properties |
| **JSON** | `--output json` | Machine-readable JSON format | Scripting, automation, parsing with jq |

### Using Output Formats

```bash theme={null}
# Default table output
orka vm list

# Extended table with more details
orka vm list --output wide

# JSON output for scripting
orka vm list --output json

# Short form
orka vm list -o json
```

### Commands Supporting Output Formats

The following command groups support the `--output` flag:

* `orka vm list`
* `orka vm-config list`
* `orka node list`
* `orka namespace list`
* `orka image list`
* `orka imagecache list`
* `orka imagecache info`
* `orka3 iso list` (removed in Orka 4.0)
* `orka serviceaccount list`
* `orka rbac list-subjects` (Orka 4.0 or later)
* `orka rolebinding list-subjects` (deprecated in Orka 4.0)
* `orka registrycredential list`
* `orka emulator list`
* `orka emulator-config list` (Orka 4.0 or later)
* `orka vm get-push-status`

### Working with JSON Output

JSON output is particularly useful for automation and scripting. You can use tools like `jq` to parse and filter the results:

```bash theme={null}
# Get all VM names
orka vm list -o json | jq -r '.items[].name'

# Get VMs with more than 4 CPUs
orka vm list -o json | jq '.items[] | select(.cpu > 4)'

# Count total VMs
orka vm list -o json | jq '.items | length'

# Get node IPs
orka node list -o json | jq -r '.items[].ip'
```

## Common Help Patterns

### Discovering Available Commands

```bash theme={null}
# List all main command groups
orka --help

# List all VM commands
orka vm --help

# List all image commands
orka image --help
```

### Understanding Flags

```bash theme={null}
# See all flags for a command
orka vm deploy --help

# See namespace-related options
orka vm list --help | grep namespace

# See output format options
orka node list --help | grep output
```

### Finding Examples

Most command help includes an "Examples" section with common use cases:

```bash theme={null}
# View examples for VM deployment
orka vm deploy --help

# View examples for image management
orka image copy --help

# View examples for namespace management
orka namespace create --help
```

## Quick Tips

### Command Aliases

Many commands have short aliases for faster typing:

| Full Command | Alias |
| - | - |
| `orka vm-config` | `orka vmc` |
| `orka serviceaccount` | `orka sa` |
| `orka rolebinding` | `orka rb` (deprecated in Orka 4.0) |
| `orka registrycredential` | `orka regcred` |
| `orka imagecache` | `orka ic` |
| `orka emulator` | `orka emu` |
| `orka emulator-config` | `orka emc` (Orka 4.0 or later) |

### Flag Shortcuts

| Full Flag | Short Flag |
| - | - |
| `--help` | `-h` |
| `--output` | `-o` |
| `--namespace` | `-n` |
| `--image` | `-i` |
| `--cpu` | `-c` |
| `--memory` | `-m` |

### Checking Async Operations

Some operations are asynchronous. Here's how to check their status:

* **Image operations:** `orka image list IMAGE_NAME`
* **ISO operations (Orka 3.6 and earlier):** `orka3 iso list ISO_NAME`
* **Image caching:** `orka imagecache info IMAGE_NAME`
* **Image push:** `orka vm get-push-status JOB_NAME`


## Related topics

- [Orka CLI command quick reference](https://docs.macstadium.com/orka/orka-cli-reference/command-quick-reference.md)
- [Run guided Orka cluster upgrades with Upgrade Service](https://docs.macstadium.com/orka/orka-upgrades-and-release-notes/orka-upgrade-service.md)
- [Bazel RBE + Orka: Getting Started](https://docs.macstadium.com/orka/orka-devops-integrations/bazel-rbe-quickstart.md)
- [Orka feature parity across Intel and Apple silicon](https://docs.macstadium.com/orka/compatibility/feature-parity-apple-hardware.md)
- [Feature Parity: Orka Tools](https://docs.macstadium.com/orka/compatibility/feature-parity-orka-tools.md)


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