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name: cli-operations description: "Route Roboflow Inference CLI users through server lifecycle, one-shot inference, benchmarks, cloud deployment, Roboflow Cloud staging and batch-processing, and enterprise compilation." metadata: disco-role: operating disable-model-invocation: true license: NOASSERTION

CLI Operations

Use this sub-skill when the user wants the inference CLI itself, or the module form python -m inference_cli.main: server lifecycle, infer, benchmark runs, cloud deployment, Roboflow Cloud data staging and batch processing, or enterprise model compilation.

Route here when

• They ask how to start, check, or stop the local inference server.
• They ask how to run inference infer on an image, directory, or video.
• They ask about inference benchmark api-speed, python-package-speed, or the experimental inference-models-speed benchmark.
• They ask about inference cloud ... deployment commands.
• They ask about inference rf-cloud data-staging ... or batch-processing ....
• They ask about inference enterprise inference-compiler compile-model.
• They need the exact CLI flags, common invocation patterns, or a CLI-specific error message.

Do not route here when

• The user is working on inference workflows process-image, process-images-directory, or process-video. Use the workflow-processing sub-skill instead.
• They want SDK/WebRTC client behavior or HTTP request shaping.
• They want model backend selection or runtime/package negotiation.

First decisions to make

1. Which command family is the user asking about?
2. Is the target local Docker, a hosted Roboflow endpoint, Roboflow Cloud, or the enterprise compiler?
3. Does the command need a Roboflow API key from --api-key or ROBOFLOW_API_KEY?
4. Will the command write to disk, and if so does the output path need an override flag?
5. Is the user actually asking about workflow image/video processing? If so, hand off to workflow-processing.

Read these bundled references

• CLI reference
• Troubleshooting
• CLI smoke helper

If the user switches to workflow image/video processing, continue in ../workflow-processing/SKILL.md instead of expanding this sub-skill.

Answer pattern

When answering, give:

1. The exact CLI family and subcommand.
2. The shortest working command that matches the user’s target.
3. Any required dependency, Docker, or API-key precondition.
4. The key flags that change output, networking, or overwrite behavior.
5. A troubleshooting branch if the command can fail for a predictable reason.