Linode-Api Skill

Comprehensive assistance with the Linode API - a RESTful API for programmatically managing Linode cloud infrastructure including compute instances, networking, storage, domains, and billing.

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be triggered when:

• Working with Linode cloud infrastructure programmatically
• Creating, managing, or monitoring Linode instances (virtual machines)
• Automating Linode infrastructure with API calls
• Implementing Linode OAuth applications
• Managing Linode account, billing, or payment methods
• Working with Linode networking (DNS, NodeBalancers, VLANs)
• Debugging Linode API authentication or request issues
• Implementing infrastructure as code with Linode
• Integrating Linode services into applications
• Managing Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE) clusters

Quick Reference

Authentication with Personal Access Token

from linode import LinodeClient

# Initialize client with your personal access token
token = "your-personal-access-token"
client = LinodeClient(token)

Getting a token: Log into cloud.linode.com → Profile → "Create a Personal Access Token"

List All Linode Instances

# Retrieve all Linodes on your account
my_linodes = client.linode.get_instances()

# Iterate and display instance labels
for linode in my_linodes:
    print(linode.label)

Create a New Linode Instance (Python)

# Get available regions
available_regions = client.get_regions()
chosen_region = available_regions[0]

# Create instance with region, type, and image
new_linode, password = client.linode.create_instance(
    chosen_region,
    'g5-standard-4',
    image='linode/debian9'
)

# Display SSH connection info
print(f"ssh root@{new_linode.ipv4[0]} - {password}")

Create a Linode Instance (cURL)

curl -X POST https://api.linode.com/v4/linode/instances \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-token>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "type": "g5-standard-2",
    "region": "us-east",
    "image": "linode/debian12",
    "root_pass": "secure_password_here",
    "label": "prod-web-1"
  }'

Get Account Information

curl https://api.linode.com/v4/account \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-token>"

List Invoices

curl https://api.linode.com/v4/account/invoices \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-token>"

Check Regional Service Availability

curl https://api.linode.com/v4/account/availability \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-token>"

Install Python Library

# Install the official Python library
pip install linode-api

# Or from source
git clone git@github.com:Linode/python-linode-api
cd python-linode-api
python setup.py install

Basic Python Setup Pattern

from linode import LinodeClient

# Initialize the client
token = "your-personal-access-token"
client = LinodeClient(token)

# Now you can access resources
regions = client.get_regions()
instances = client.linode.get_instances()

Authentication Header Format (REST)

All API requests to non-public resources must include an Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <your-personal-access-token>

Key Concepts

API Versions

• v4: Current stable API version (base URL: https://api.linode.com/v4)
• v4beta: Beta features and endpoints (use with caution in production)

Authentication

The Linode API uses Personal Access Tokens (PATs) for authentication. Tokens can have different permission scopes (read/write) for different resource types. Always keep tokens secure and never commit them to version control.

Pagination

API responses use envelope-based pagination with metadata:

• page: Current page number
• pages: Total number of pages
• results: Number of results per page

Filtering

The API supports advanced filtering via the X-Filter header with operators:

• +gt: Greater than
• +lte: Less than or equal
• +or: Logical OR
• Complex nested conditions supported

Instance Types

Common Linode instance types:

• Shared CPU: g5-standard-1, g5-standard-2, etc. (cost-effective for general workloads)
• Dedicated CPU: g6-dedicated-2, etc. (guaranteed CPU resources)
• High Memory: g6-highmem-1, etc. (memory-intensive applications)

Regions

Linode has global data centers. Common regions:

• us-east: Newark, NJ
• us-west: Fremont, CA
• eu-west: London, UK
• ap-south: Singapore
• Many more available via GET /regions endpoint

Images

Supported operating system images:

• linode/debian12: Debian 12
• linode/ubuntu22.04: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
• linode/centos-stream9: CentOS Stream 9
• Custom images also supported

Reference Files

This skill includes comprehensive documentation in references/:

• api.md - Complete OpenAPI specification reference with all endpoints, request/response schemas, and authentication details

Use view references/api.md when you need:

• Detailed endpoint specifications
• Request/response schema definitions
• Available HTTP methods for each endpoint
• Field validation rules and constraints
• OAuth client configuration details
• Beta feature documentation

Working with This Skill

For Beginners

1. Start with authentication: Generate a Personal Access Token from cloud.linode.com
2. Test basic endpoints: Try GET /account to verify your token works
3. Use the Python library: It's easier than raw REST API calls for getting started
4. Start small: List existing resources before creating new ones
5. Check regional availability: Ensure services are available in your chosen region

For API Integration

1. Review authentication patterns in the Quick Reference section
2. Use the Python client library for rapid development
3. Implement proper error handling for API rate limits and validation errors
4. Store tokens securely using environment variables or secret management
5. Test in non-production accounts first

For Infrastructure Automation

1. Explore the full API specification in references/api.md
2. Use filtering and pagination for large resource queries
3. Implement idempotent operations where possible
4. Monitor API usage to stay within rate limits
5. Use OAuth for multi-user applications

Common Workflows

Basic Instance Management:

1. List available regions → Choose region
2. List available instance types → Choose type
3. List available images → Choose image
4. Create instance with chosen parameters
5. Monitor instance status until "running"
6. Retrieve IP address and connect

Account Management:

1. Get account information
2. List invoices and payment history
3. Check service availability by region
4. Manage OAuth clients for applications
5. View notifications and events

Resources

Official Documentation

• API Reference: https://www.linode.com/docs/api/
• Getting Started Guide: https://www.linode.com/docs/products/tools/api/get-started/
• Python Library Docs: https://python-linode-api.readthedocs.io/

Code Libraries

• Python: linode-api (official)
• JavaScript/Node.js: Available via npm
• Go, PHP, Ruby: Community libraries available

references/

The references/api.md file contains:

• Complete OpenAPI specification (JSON format)
• All available endpoints organized by resource type
• Detailed request/response schemas
• Authentication requirements per endpoint
• Field validation rules and data types
• Pagination and filtering documentation
• Beta feature flags

Best Practices

Security

• Never hardcode API tokens in your code
• Use environment variables: token = os.getenv('LINODE_API_TOKEN')
• Set appropriate token scopes (read-only when possible)
• Rotate tokens regularly
• Revoke unused tokens

Error Handling

• Handle HTTP 429 (rate limit) with exponential backoff
• Validate input before making API calls
• Check for field validation errors in 400 responses
• Implement retry logic for transient failures

Performance

• Use pagination for large result sets
• Implement caching for infrequently-changing data (regions, types)
• Use batch operations when available
• Filter results server-side using X-Filter header

Code Organization

• Create wrapper functions for common operations
• Separate configuration from application code
• Use type hints with the Python library
• Document token permission requirements

Notes

• This skill was automatically generated from the official Linode API OpenAPI specification
• The API uses standard REST conventions (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
• All non-public endpoints require authentication via Bearer token
• Rate limits apply - implement appropriate backoff strategies
• Beta endpoints (v4beta) may change without notice
• The Python library handles pagination and authentication automatically

Common Operations Reference

Compute Instances

• List instances: GET /linode/instances
• Create instance: POST /linode/instances
• Get instance: GET /linode/instances/{linodeId}
• Update instance: PUT /linode/instances/{linodeId}
• Delete instance: DELETE /linode/instances/{linodeId}
• Reboot instance: POST /linode/instances/{linodeId}/reboot

Account & Billing

• Get account: GET /account
• List invoices: GET /account/invoices
• List payments: GET /account/payments
• Get settings: GET /account/settings

Networking

• List NodeBalancers: GET /nodebalancers
• List Firewalls: GET /networking/firewalls
• List VLANs: GET /networking/vlans

Storage

• List volumes: GET /volumes
• Create volume: POST /volumes
• Attach volume: POST /volumes/{volumeId}/attach

Troubleshooting

Authentication Errors

• 401 Unauthorized: Invalid or expired token
• 403 Forbidden: Token lacks required permissions
• Solution: Verify token in cloud.linode.com, check scopes

Rate Limiting

• 429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit exceeded
• Solution: Implement exponential backoff, reduce request frequency

Validation Errors

• 400 Bad Request: Invalid input data
• Solution: Check error message for specific field issues, consult API docs

Installation Issues (Python)

• Namespace conflicts: Older libraries use 'linode' namespace
• Solution: Use virtualenv to isolate dependencies

Updating

This skill is based on the OpenAPI specification from the Linode API GitHub repository. To refresh with the latest API changes:

1. The specification is automatically pulled from: https://github.com/linode/linode-api-docs
2. Re-run the skill generation process to capture new endpoints and changes
3. Review changelog for breaking changes before updating production code