$ Linux Command

Network

nmtui

Text user interface for configuring NetworkManager.

networkconfigurationnmclinetworkmanagerwifiinterface

Additional Notes

nmtui provides a simple text-based user interface for managing network connections via NetworkManager. It offers menus for editing connections, activating connections, setting hostnames, and managing network interfaces without requiring knowledge of nmcli command syntax.

It is designed for users who prefer a menu-driven approach over the command line. nmtui is not a full replacement for nmcli but covers the most common network configuration tasks. Changes made in nmtui are persistent and apply to the system-wide NetworkManager configuration files.

Syntax

nmtui [edit|connect|hostname] [name]

Parameters

  • edit: Open the interface to edit a connection profile.
  • connect: Open the interface to activate or deactivate a connection.
  • hostname: Open the interface to set the system hostname.
  • name: Optional connection name when used with edit or connect.

Common Options

  • --help: Show help and exit.
  • --version: Show program version.

Examples

nmtui

Launch the text interface with the main menu.

nmtui edit "My WiFi"

Open the edit interface directly for the connection named My WiFi.

nmtui connect

Open the activation/deactivation interface.

nmtui hostname

Open the hostname setting dialog.

Practical Notes

  • nmtui requires NetworkManager to be running. Check with systemctl status NetworkManager.
  • Changes require no service restart and take effect immediately.
  • nmtui can be run over SSH as it uses curses-based text rendering.
  • For scripting, use nmcli instead, which provides the same configuration capabilities in a scriptable format.
  • On minimal installations, nmtui may need to be installed separately with the package network-manager-tui or NetworkManager-tui.