How to Install Databricks CLI: Step-by-Step Guide

How to Install Databricks CLI: A Step-by-Step Guide

The Databricks Command Line Interface (CLI) is a powerful tool that enables users to interact with their Databricks workspace and manage resources such as clusters, jobs, and notebooks directly from their terminal. This tutorial will guide you through the installation and basic setup of the Databricks CLI, helping you to streamline your workflow and automate tasks.

Prerequisites

A system with Python installed (Python 3.6 or later recommended). If not installed, download it from the official Python website (Official site).
Access to a Databricks workspace with appropriate permissions to generate personal access tokens.
Basic familiarity with command line operations.
Optional: A package manager like pip installed with Python.

Step 1: Verify Python and Pip Installation

Open your terminal or command prompt, then check that Python and pip are installed by running:

python --version
pip --version

If these commands do not display version information, install Python first before proceeding.

Step 2: Install Databricks CLI

Install the Databricks CLI using pip. Run the following command:

pip install databricks-cli

This command downloads and installs the CLI and its dependencies.

Step 3: Verify Installation

Confirm the installation was successful by checking the CLI version:

databricks --version

If installed correctly, you will see the version number output.

Step 4: Configure the Databricks CLI

To interact with your Databricks workspace, configure the CLI using a personal access token.

Log in to your Databricks workspace.
Navigate to User Settings > Access Tokens.
Generate a new token and copy it securely.

Then in your terminal, run:

databricks configure --token

You will be prompted to enter your Databricks host URL (e.g., https://your-instance.cloud.databricks.com) and the token copied previously. The CLI will save this configuration for future commands.

Step 5: Using the Databricks CLI

With the CLI installed and configured, test it by listing the clusters in your workspace:

databricks clusters list

You should see the details of current clusters managed in your Databricks environment.

Troubleshooting

Command not found error: Make sure your PATH environment variable includes the location where pip installs executables. Reopen terminal after installation.
Authentication errors: Double-check your personal access token and URL. Ensure your token has not expired or been revoked.
Permission issues: Confirm your Databricks user has necessary API permissions.

Summary Checklist

Confirm Python and pip are installed and accessible.
Install Databricks CLI using pip.
Verify installation with databricks --version.
Create personal access token in Databricks workspace.
Configure CLI with your Databricks host and token.
Test CLI commands like databricks clusters list.

For further insights and related tutorials, check out our detailed BigQuery CLI installation guide and deepen your cloud command line skills.

Following these steps, you now have the Databricks CLI installed and ready to streamline your data engineering, data science, and cloud automation tasks efficiently.