# Tekton CLI (tkn)

## About this Install Guide

| Reading time: | 10 min |
| -------------- | ------ |
| Last updated:  | 4 Aug 2026 |

| Author:       | Jason Andrews, Arm [GitHub](https://github.com/jasonrandrews) [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/jason-andrews-7b05a8) |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Official docs: | [View](https://tekton.dev/docs/cli/) |

This guide shows you how to install and use the tool with the most common configuration. For advanced options and complete reference information, see the official documentation. Some install guides also include optional next steps to help you explore related workflows or integrations.

The Tekton CLI, `tkn`, is a command-line interface for Tekton Pipelines. You can use `tkn` to create, manage, and interact with Tekton resources such as tasks, pipelines, and pipeline runs from your terminal.

Tekton CLI is available for macOS and Linux and supports the Arm architecture. In this guide, you’ll learn how to install the latest version of the Tekton CLI for Ubuntu on Arm and macOS with Apple Silicon.

## Before you begin

Confirm you are using an Arm computer by running:

```bash
uname -m
```

If you are on Arm Linux the output should be:

```
__output__ aarch64
```

If you are on macOS with Apple Silicon the output should be:

```
__output__ arm64
```

## Download and install the Tekton CLIs

You can install the Tekton CLI in multiple ways. The following methods download the latest stable release directly from GitHub.

### Install on Arm Linux

To install the Tekton CLI on Arm Linux:

```bash
TKN_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/tektoncd/cli/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f 4)
curl -LO https://github.com/tektoncd/cli/releases/download/${TKN_VERSION}/tektoncd-cli-${TKN_VERSION#v}_Linux-ARM64.deb
sudo apt install ./tektoncd-cli-${TKN_VERSION#v}_Linux-ARM64.deb
```

**Tip:** If the version query fails, you can manually set `TKN_VERSION` to a known stable version such as `v0.45.1`.

### Install on macOS

To install the Tekton CLI on macOS with Apple Silicon:

```bash
TKN_VERSION=$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/tektoncd/cli/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f 4)
curl -LO https://github.com/tektoncd/cli/releases/download/${TKN_VERSION}/tkn_${TKN_VERSION#v}_Darwin_all.tar.gz
tar -xzf tkn_${TKN_VERSION#v}_Darwin_all.tar.gz
sudo mv tkn /usr/local/bin/
rm tkn_${TKN_VERSION#v}_Darwin_all.tar.gz README.md LICENSE
```

Alternatively, you can install using Homebrew on macOS:

```bash
brew install tektoncd-cli
```

## Verify the Tekton CLI installation

Verify the Tekton CLI is installed by checking the version:

```bash
tkn version
```

The output shows the client version information and is similar to:

```
__output__ Client version: 0.45.1
```

You can also check that the command is working by displaying the help:

```bash
tkn help
```

This displays the main command groups and options:

```
__output__ CLI for tekton pipelines
__output__
__output__ Usage:
__output__ tkn [flags]
__output__ tkn [command]
__output__
__output__ Available Commands:
__output__   bundle*               Manage Tekton Bundles (experimental)
__output__   clustertriggerbinding Manage ClusterTriggerBindings
__output__   customrun             Manage CustomRuns
__output__   eventlistener         Manage EventListeners
__output__   hub                   Interact with tekton hub
__output__   pipeline              Manage pipelines
__output__   pipelinerun           Manage PipelineRuns
__output__   task                  Manage Tasks
__output__   taskrun               Manage TaskRuns
__output__   triggerbinding        Manage TriggerBindings
__output__   triggertemplate       Manage TriggerTemplates
__output__ Other Commands:
__output__   completion            Prints shell completion scripts
__output__   version               Prints version information
__output__ Flags:
__output__   -h, --help   help for tkn
__output__ Use "tkn [command] --help" for more information about a command.
```

## Get started with the Tekton CLI

To use the Tekton CLI effectively, you need access to a Kubernetes cluster with Tekton Pipelines installed. You can check if Tekton is available in your cluster:

```bash
tkn pipeline list
```

If Tekton Pipelines is not installed, you might see an error message. In that case, you need to install Tekton Pipelines on your cluster first.

### Common Tekton CLI commands

The following are some common commands to get you started.

List pipelines:

```bash
tkn pipeline list
```

List pipeline runs:

```bash
tkn pipelinerun list
```

List tasks:

```bash
tkn task list
```

List task runs:

```bash
tkn taskrun list
```

Start a pipeline:

```bash
tkn pipeline start <pipeline-name>
```

Show pipeline run logs:

```bash
tkn pipelinerun logs <pipelinerun-name>
```

Describe a pipeline:

```bash
tkn pipeline describe <pipeline-name>
```

You are now ready to use the Tekton CLI to manage your CI/CD pipelines with Tekton Pipelines on Kubernetes or OpenShift.