solana/docs/src/cli/conventions.md

---
title: Using Solana CLI
---

Before running any Solana CLI commands, let's go over some conventions that
you will see across all commands. First, the Solana CLI is actually a collection
of different commands for each action you might want to take. You can view the list
of all possible commands by running:

```bash
solana --help
```

To zoom in on how to use a particular command, run:

```bash
solana <COMMAND> --help
```

where you replace the text `<COMMAND>` with the name of the command you want
to learn more about.

The command's usage message will typically contain words such as `<AMOUNT>`,
`<ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>` or `<KEYPAIR>`. Each word is a placeholder for the _type_ of
text you can execute the command with. For example, you can replace `<AMOUNT>`
with a number such as `42` or `100.42`. You can replace `<ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>` with
the base58 encoding of your public key, such as
`9grmKMwTiZwUHSExjtbFzHLPTdWoXgcg1bZkhvwTrTww`.

## Keypair conventions

Many commands using the CLI tools require a value for a `<KEYPAIR>`. The value
you should use for the keypair depend on what type of
[command line wallet you created](../wallet-guide/cli.md).

For example, the way to display any wallet's address
(also known as the keypair's pubkey), the CLI help document shows:

```bash
solana-keygen pubkey <KEYPAIR>
```

Below, we show how to resolve what you should put in `<KEYPAIR>` depending
on your wallet type.

#### Paper Wallet

In a paper wallet, the keypair is securely derived from the seed words and
optional passphrase you entered when the wallet was create. To use a paper wallet
keypair anywhere the `<KEYPAIR>` text is shown in examples or help documents,
enter the word `ASK` and the program will prompt you to enter your seed words
when you run the command.

To display the wallet address of a Paper Wallet:

```bash
solana-keygen pubkey ASK
```

#### File System Wallet

With a file system wallet, the keypair is stored in a file on your computer.
Replace `<KEYPAIR>` with the complete file path to the keypair file.

For example, if the file system keypair file location is
`/home/solana/my_wallet.json`, to display the address, do:

```bash
solana-keygen pubkey /home/solana/my_wallet.json
```

#### Hardware Wallet

If you chose a hardware wallet, use your
[keypair URL](../hardware-wallets/README.md#specify-a-hardware-wallet-key),
such as `usb://ledger?key=0`.

```bash
solana-keygen pubkey usb://ledger?key=0
```