For a dependable way to connect to Wi-Fi from a Linux terminal, start with nmcli for commands and scripting or nmtui for a guided keyboard interface—provided your system uses NetworkManager. A LinuxLinks roundup published August 22, 2026, also names eight newer terminal Wi-Fi tools, but their current support, installation routes, backends, and feature sets are not established by the available project documentation here. Treat those names as a shortlist to investigate, not a verified ranking.
How terminal Wi-Fi managers fit into Linux networking
A terminal interface is usually a way to control a networking service, not a replacement for the service or for the Wi-Fi driver. In particular, nmcli and nmtui are both clients for NetworkManager. They can offer different ways to operate the same connection profiles; neither can fix unsupported hardware or a faulty kernel driver.
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NetworkManager describes nmcli as its advanced command-line client and nmtui as its interactive text client. Its reference manual calls nmtui “a curses-based TUI application for interacting with NetworkManager.” The distinction that matters when choosing is interaction style: direct commands and automation with nmcli, or guided keyboard navigation with nmtui.
Ten free and open-source options in the roundup
LinuxLinks’ August 22, 2026 roundup names the following projects. These are the descriptions used by that article, not independently verified claims about current releases, compatibility, or feature parity.
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| Option | Roundup description | What to verify before choosing |
|---|---|---|
| Impala | TUI for managing Wi-Fi on Linux | Current maintenance, backend, installation route, and supported operations in the project’s own documentation. |
| wlctl | TUI for managing Wi-Fi using NetworkManager | Current maintenance, installation route, and which NetworkManager operations it supports. |
| Netpala | Go-based Wi-Fi manager | Current maintenance, backend, installation route, and whether it can scan, connect, or edit profiles. |
| wifitui | Fast, featureful Wi-Fi terminal UI | Current maintenance, backend, installation route, and documented feature scope. |
| nmtui-go | TUI for NetworkManager Wi-Fi connections | Current maintenance, installation route, and how its supported operations compare with nmtui. |
| Orbit | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth manager for Wayland | Current maintenance, installation route, and whether it depends on a particular desktop or networking service. |
| linktui | Manages Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and WireGuard VPN connections | Current maintenance, backend, installation route, and which of those connection types are currently supported. |
| Gazelle | Minimal NetworkManager TUI | Current maintenance, installation route, and the specific NetworkManager tasks it exposes. |
| connex | Modern Wi-Fi manager | Current maintenance, backend, installation route, and documented Wi-Fi operations. |
| nettui | Unified Wi-Fi and Ethernet interface | Current maintenance, backend, installation route, and how it handles Wi-Fi profiles and Ethernet connections. |
The available descriptions do not establish which of these eight projects are actively maintained or available for a particular Linux distribution. Before installing one, consult its official repository and package documentation for a recent maintenance date, supported distributions, backend requirements, installation instructions, and the operations it actually provides. In particular, determine whether it is a frontend to a service already running on your system or a standalone manager.
Choose between nmcli and nmtui when you need a known NetworkManager client
Use nmcli for direct commands and automation
The NetworkManager manual documents nmcli operations for checking radio state and device status, listing visible access points, rescanning, connecting by SSID or BSSID, managing connection profiles, and creating a hotspot. Its Wi-Fi connect command can create a new connection for open, WEP, and WPA-PSK networks. Enterprise authentication requires an appropriately configured profile rather than relying on that new-connection flow.
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For example, list the access points visible to NetworkManager with:
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nmcli device wifi listCommand behavior and available options can vary by installed NetworkManager version. Check man nmcli on the target system before adapting commands for scripts or relying on a particular authentication method. For automation, use documented structured-output options rather than parsing human-readable terminal text.
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Use nmtui for guided keyboard interaction
nmtui offers a curses-based screen for editing connection profiles and activating or deactivating connections. Red Hat’s instructions for RHEL 10 show a Wi-Fi setup flow in which a user adds a profile, enters the SSID and authentication settings, and activates the connection. This is a practical option when you want an interactive setup without a graphical desktop, as long as NetworkManager is in use.
Its documented activities also include setting the hostname, so it is not limited to Wi-Fi. For the exact screens and available fields on a particular system, consult the installed nmtui documentation and distribution guidance.
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Check the service and device if connecting fails
A failed connection does not automatically mean the terminal interface is at fault. NetworkManager’s README warns that wireless problems can result from buggy or inconsistent drivers, and that out-of-tree drivers may be unreliable. Check the problem in layers:
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- Networking service: Check that NetworkManager is installed and running if you are using
nmcliornmtui. - Access point and credentials: Confirm that the network is visible and that the authentication details match the network’s requirements.
- Client capabilities: Check the installed manual or project documentation for support for the operation and authentication method you need.
How to evaluate a less-established terminal Wi-Fi tool
For any of the eight community tools in the roundup, check these points before making it part of a setup or script:
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- Maintenance: Look for recent changes, releases, and issue activity in the official project repository.
- Backend: Establish whether it requires NetworkManager, another service, or a standalone setup.
- Installation: Confirm that the documented installation method applies to your distribution and version.
- Operations: Verify whether it supports scanning, connecting, profile editing, radio control, or hotspot creation—do not infer these from a broad project tagline.
- Interaction and automation: Decide whether you need an interactive screen, shell commands suitable for scripting, or both.
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