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Installing OpenStack Tools

Updated July 7, 2026

This document will outline how to install OpenStack Tools

Using Virtual Environments (Recommended)

This is the cleanest approach. It isolates the OpenStack clients from your system files, preventing version conflicts.

Create a dedicated directory and virtual environment

Bash

mkdir ~/openstack-tools && cd ~/openstack-tools python3 -m venv venv-openstack

Activate the environment

Bash

source venv-openstack/bin/activate

Install the clients

Bash

pip install python-ironicclient metalsmith

Using Pipx

If you want these commands to be available globally (like standard system commands) without manually activating environments, pipx is the ideal solution.

Install pipx if not already present

Bash

sudo apt update && sudo apt install pipx pipx ensurepath

Install the clients

Bash

pipx install python-ironicclient pipx install metalsmith

After running these, the ironic and metalsmith commands will be available in your PATH immediately.