OpenHue CLI

Control Philips Hue lights and scenes via a Hue Bridge from the terminal.

Prerequisites

bash
# Linux (pre-built binary — releases ship tarballs, not bare binaries)
curl -sL "https://github.com/openhue/openhue-cli/releases/latest/download/openhue_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz" \
  | tar -xz -C /tmp openhue \
  && install -m 0755 /tmp/openhue ~/.local/bin/openhue
# (use openhue_Linux_arm64.tar.gz on ARM64)

# macOS
brew install openhue/cli/openhue-cli

First run requires pressing the button on your Hue Bridge to pair. The bridge must be on the same local network.

When to Use

• "Turn on/off the lights"
• "Dim the living room lights"
• "Set a scene" or "movie mode"
• Controlling specific Hue rooms, zones, or individual bulbs
• Adjusting brightness, color, or color temperature

Common Commands

List Resources

bash
openhue get light       # List all lights
openhue get room        # List all rooms
openhue get scene       # List all scenes

Control Lights

bash
# Turn on/off
openhue set light "Bedroom Lamp" --on
openhue set light "Bedroom Lamp" --off

# Brightness (0-100)
openhue set light "Bedroom Lamp" --on --brightness 50

# Color temperature (warm to cool: 153-500 mirek)
openhue set light "Bedroom Lamp" --on --temperature 300

# Color (by name or hex)
openhue set light "Bedroom Lamp" --on --color red
openhue set light "Bedroom Lamp" --on --rgb "#FF5500"

Control Rooms

bash
# Turn off entire room
openhue set room "Bedroom" --off

# Set room brightness
openhue set room "Bedroom" --on --brightness 30

Scenes

bash
openhue set scene "Relax" --room "Bedroom"
openhue set scene "Concentrate" --room "Office"

Quick Presets

bash
# Bedtime (dim warm)
openhue set room "Bedroom" --on --brightness 20 --temperature 450

# Work mode (bright cool)
openhue set room "Office" --on --brightness 100 --temperature 250

# Movie mode (dim)
openhue set room "Living Room" --on --brightness 10

# Everything off
openhue set room "Bedroom" --off
openhue set room "Office" --off
openhue set room "Living Room" --off

Notes

• Bridge must be on the same local network as the machine running Hermes
• First run requires physically pressing the button on the Hue Bridge to authorize
• Colors only work on color-capable bulbs (not white-only models)
• Light and room names are case-sensitive — use openhue get light to check exact names
• Works great with cron jobs for scheduled lighting (e.g. dim at bedtime, bright at wake)