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To run an n98-magerun2 command, install the PHAR or Composer distribution, use its executable with the command name, and confirm the Magento root before making changes. n98-magerun2 is a separate utility for Magento 2, Mage-OS, and Adobe Commerce; Adobe Commerce’s built-in CLI is <magento_root>/bin/magento. Use the executable that provides the command you need.
Check platform and PHP compatibility first
n98-magerun2 is for modern Magento-based platforms, not Magento 1 or OpenMage. Its original companion tool, n98-magerun, is intended for Magento 1. The project describes n98-magerun2 as supporting “modern Magento-based platforms.” See the official project repository and its Introduction documentation.
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Compatibility depends on the n98-magerun2 release, platform version, and PHP version. The current compatibility matrix lists n98-magerun2 v9.0.0 or later for Adobe Commerce/Magento Open Source 2.4.8+ and Mage-OS 1.2.x+. It specifies PHP 8.2 as the minimum for n98-magerun2 v10.0.0 and later. Check the matrix for your exact combination before installing; support changes across releases. Windows is not fully supported, and some commands, including db:dump and install, may be unavailable there.
As of October 4, 2026, the project’s release page lists 10.0.2, released August 27, 2026, as the latest release. Check the release page when choosing a version, since that status can change.
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Install n98-magerun2
Recommended for daily use: download the PHAR
The official installation guide favors the PHAR for routine use. From a directory where you want to store it, download the file and its SHA-256 checksum, verify it, then make it executable:
curl -sS -O https://files.magerun.net/n98-magerun2.phar
curl -sS -o n98-magerun2.phar.sha256 'https://files.magerun.net/sha256.php?file=n98-magerun2.phar'
shasum -a 256 -c n98-magerun2.phar.sha256
chmod +x ./n98-magerun2.phar
./n98-magerun2.phar --versionThe checksum command should report that the PHAR is OK. If your system does not have shasum, use a SHA-256 verification tool available for your operating system and compare its result with the checksum file. Follow the official installation instructions for manual verification or placing the PHAR in a directory on your PATH, such as /usr/local/bin.
Composer distribution
For a project-local installation, run this from the Magento project directory:
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11composer require n98/magerun2-distInvoke that installation as ./vendor/bin/n98-magerun2.phar. For a global Composer installation, use composer global require n98/magerun2-dist and ensure Composer’s global binary directory (the documentation gives ~/.composer/vendor/bin) is on your PATH.
The project documentation warns that installing the source package with composer require n98/n98-magerun2 is not recommended for daily use: it cannot guarantee compatibility with every project and Magento core dependency. Prefer the PHAR or the n98/magerun2-dist package unless you have a specific development reason to use the source package.
Run a command and find its options
With the downloaded PHAR, run it from the Magento root or provide the root explicitly. These examples list available commands, run a cache operation, and show that command’s options:
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./n98-magerun2.phar list
./n98-magerun2.phar cache:clean
./n98-magerun2.phar cache:clean --helpIf the PHAR is not executable, call it through PHP instead:
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php n98-magerun2.phar <command> --helpFor a Composer project install, replace ./n98-magerun2.phar with ./vendor/bin/n98-magerun2.phar. Use list to discover what the installed version exposes, then run <command> --help for that command’s syntax. Do not assume options are shared between different command families.
Target the intended Magento installation
n98-magerun2 attempts to identify the Magento root from its context. When you run it outside the project directory, or want to remove any ambiguity, set the global --root-dir option to the actual Magento root:
./n98-magerun2.phar --root-dir=/var/www/store list
./n98-magerun2.phar --root-dir=/var/www/store cache:cleanReplace /var/www/store with the directory for the installation you intend to manage. Confirm the path before running commands that modify configuration, cache, indexes, or the database. The global help and version switches are also useful for checking the invocation:
./n98-magerun2.phar --help
./n98-magerun2.phar --versionThe global options include --skip-config and --skip-root-check as well. These change how the tool handles configuration or root validation; they do not make an incorrect project path safe. Avoid bypassing checks unless you understand why they are blocking the operation.
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Adobe Commerce has its own CLI at <magento_root>/bin/magento. It is not an alias for n98-magerun2, and n98-magerun2 does not replace it. Identify which tool documents the command you want, then invoke that tool:
| Need | Executable | How to discover commands |
|---|---|---|
| An n98-magerun2 command | ./n98-magerun2.phar <command> (or the Composer path) |
./n98-magerun2.phar list, then <command> --help |
| A built-in Adobe Commerce command | <magento_root>/bin/magento <command> |
<magento_root>/bin/magento list |
n98-magerun2’s command reference includes examples such as cache:clean, cache:flush, config:store:get, config:store:set, db:dump, db:import, db:query, indexer:list, sys:info, and script. Availability can depend on the installed release and environment; check list and the command’s help rather than treating this as a universal inventory. The official command reference groups commands by namespace.
Run commands with the right permissions
Adobe’s guidance says to run Commerce CLI commands as a file-system owner with write permission. Use the ownership and deployment conventions for your installation rather than defaulting to root. For production work, follow the site’s backup and change-control procedures, especially for database imports or configuration changes. A root-check bypass is not a substitute for correct ownership or a verified target path. See Adobe’s CLI reference.
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