ax-devil-device-api 0.7.0

Python library for interacting with Axis device APIs

ax-devil-device-api

Python package and CLI for configuring Axis devices via their HTTPS APIs: device info and health, snapshots, network details, MQTT clients, analytics publishers, API discovery, SSH users and more.

See also ax-devil-mqtt and ax-devil-rtsp for related tools.

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Install

pip install ax-devil-device-api

Configure (optional)

Set environment variables to avoid repeating credentials and broker details:

• AX_DEVIL_TARGET_ADDR – Device IP or hostname
• AX_DEVIL_TARGET_USER – Device username
• AX_DEVIL_TARGET_PASS – Device password
• AX_DEVIL_MQTT_BROKER_ADDR – MQTT broker address
• AX_DEVIL_MQTT_BROKER_PASS – MQTT broker password
• AX_DEVIL_USAGE_CLI – Set to unsafe to allow --no-verify-ssl without prompts (defaults to safe)

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Capabilities

• Device info & health – model/firmware, health, restart; CLI device; Python client.device
• Network – interface details; CLI network info; Python client.network
• Media – snapshots with optional resolution/compression/camera selection; CLI media snapshot; Python client.media
• MQTT client – configure/activate/deactivate/status/config; CLI mqtt; Python client.mqtt_client
• Analytics MQTT publishers – list/create/remove; CLI analytics; Python client.analytics_mqtt
• Analytics metadata producers – list/enable/disable/sample/versions; CLI analytics-metadata; Python client.analytics_metadata
• API discovery – list APIs, inspect docs/models/openapi; CLI discovery; Python client.discovery
• Feature flags – list/get/set; CLI features; Python client.feature_flags
• Geocoordinates – location/orientation get/set/apply; CLI geocoordinates; Python client.geocoordinates
• SSH users – add/list/show/modify/remove; CLI ssh; Python client.ssh
• Data transformation – list topics, list/create/remove jq expression-based transforms; CLI data-transformation; Python client.data_transformation
• Systemready – check device readiness (no auth), supported API versions; CLI systemready; Python client.systemready
• Debug – server/crash reports, network traces, pings, port checks, core dumps; CLI debug; Python client.device_debug

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CLI

ax-devil-device-api --help lists all subcommands. Global options: --device-ip/-a, --device-username/-u, --device-password/-p, --protocol [http|https], --port, and --no-verify-ssl.

Common flows:

• Device checks and restart:

ax-devil-device-api device info \
  --device-ip <device-ip> \
  --device-username <username> \
  --device-password <password>

ax-devil-device-api device health
ax-devil-device-api device restart --force

• Capture a snapshot:

ax-devil-device-api media snapshot \
  --device-ip <device-ip> \
  --device-username <username> \
  --device-password <password> \
  --output snapshot.jpg

# Optional snapshot tuning:
ax-devil-device-api media snapshot --resolution 1920x1080 --compression 50 --device 1

• Configure and inspect the device MQTT client:

ax-devil-device-api mqtt configure \
  --device-ip <device-ip> \
  --device-username <username> \
  --device-password <password> \
  --broker-address <broker-ip> \
  --broker-port 1883 \
  --use-tls

ax-devil-device-api mqtt status
ax-devil-device-api mqtt config

• Network and geocoordinates:

ax-devil-device-api network info

ax-devil-device-api geocoordinates location set 59.3293 18.0686
ax-devil-device-api geocoordinates orientation set --heading 45 --tilt 5
ax-devil-device-api geocoordinates orientation apply

• Manage analytics publishers:

ax-devil-device-api analytics sources
ax-devil-device-api analytics create pub-1 "com.axis.analytics_scene_description.v0.beta#1" "axis/events" --qos 1 --retain
ax-devil-device-api analytics list
ax-devil-device-api analytics remove pub-1

• Manage analytics metadata producers:

ax-devil-device-api analytics-metadata list
ax-devil-device-api analytics-metadata enable metadata-producer --channel 1 --channel 2
ax-devil-device-api analytics-metadata sample metadata-producer --format json

• Feature flags:

ax-devil-device-api features list
ax-devil-device-api features get my_flag other_flag
ax-devil-device-api features set my_flag=true other_flag=false --force

• Inspect APIs exposed by the device:

ax-devil-device-api discovery list
ax-devil-device-api discovery info analytics-mqtt --docs-html-link

• Data transformation:

ax-devil-device-api data-transformation topics
ax-devil-device-api data-transformation list
ax-devil-device-api data-transformation create "input/topic" "output/topic" '.key'
ax-devil-device-api data-transformation remove "output/topic"

• Check device readiness (no authentication required):

ax-devil-device-api systemready check --device-ip <device-ip>
ax-devil-device-api systemready check --timeout 30
ax-devil-device-api systemready versions

• Manage SSH users or collect diagnostics:

ax-devil-device-api ssh add new-user password123 --comment "Service account"
ax-devil-device-api ssh list
ax-devil-device-api ssh modify new-user --password new-pass
ax-devil-device-api debug download-server-report report.tar.gz
ax-devil-device-api debug download-crash-report crash.tar.gz
ax-devil-device-api debug ping-test example.com

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Python API

import json
from ax_devil_device_api import Client, DeviceConfig

config = DeviceConfig.https(
    host="192.168.1.81",
    username="root",
    password="pass",
    verify_ssl=False,  # leave True in production
)

with Client(config) as client:
    info = client.device.get_info()
    print(json.dumps(info, indent=2))

    snapshot = client.media.get_snapshot()
    tuned_snapshot = client.media.get_snapshot(resolution="1280x720", compression=50, camera_head=1)
    mqtt_state = client.mqtt_client.get_state()

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Development

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"
pytest

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Disclaimer

This project is an independent, community-driven implementation and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Axis Communications AB. For official APIs and development resources, see the Axis Developer Community.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.