Programs

"gdal" application

Added in version 3.11.

Starting with GDAL 3.11, parts of the GDAL utilities are available from a new single gdal program that accepts commands and subcommands.

As an introduction, you can follow the webinar given on June 3, 2025 about the GDAL Command Line Interface Modernization as a PDF slide deck or the recording of the video.

Warning

The gdal command is provisionally provided as an alternative interface to GDAL and OGR command line utilities. The project reserves the right to modify, rename, reorganize, and change the behavior of the utility until it is officially frozen via PSC vote in a future major GDAL release. The utility needs time to mature, benefit from incremental feedback, and explore enhancements without carrying the burden of full backward compatibility. Your usage of it should have no expectation of compatibility until that time.

General

• gdal: Main gdal entry point

• Syntax for commands of gdal program: Syntax for commands of gdal program

• Migration guide to "gdal" command line interface: Migration guide to gdal command line interface

• Bash completion for gdal: Bash completion for gdal

• How to use "gdal" CLI algorithms from C: How to use gdal CLI algorithms from C

• How to use "gdal" CLI algorithms from C++: How to use gdal CLI algorithms from C++

• How to use "gdal" CLI algorithms from Python: How to use gdal CLI algorithms from Python

• .gdalg files to replay serialized "gdal" commands: .gdalg files to replay serialized gdal commands

Commands working with raster or vector inputs

• gdal info: Get information on a dataset

• gdal convert: Convert a dataset

• gdal pipeline: Process a dataset applying several steps

Raster commands

Single operations:

• gdal raster: Entry point for raster commands

• gdal raster info: Get information on a raster dataset

• gdal raster as-features: Create features representing raster pixels

• gdal raster aspect: Generate an aspect map.

• gdal raster blend: Blend/compose two raster datasets

• gdal raster calc: Perform raster algebra

• gdal raster clean-collar: Clean the collar of a raster dataset, removing noise

• gdal raster clip: Clip a raster dataset

• gdal raster color-map: Use a grayscale raster to replace the intensity of a RGB/RGBA dataset

• gdal raster compare: Compare two raster datasets

• gdal raster convert: Convert a raster dataset

• gdal raster contour: Builds vector contour lines from a raster elevation model

• gdal raster create: Create a new raster dataset

• gdal raster edit: Edit in place a raster dataset

• gdal raster footprint: Compute the footprint of a raster dataset.

• gdal raster fill-nodata: Fill raster regions by interpolation from edges.

• gdal raster hillshade: Generate a shaded relief map

• gdal raster index: Create a vector index of raster datasets

• gdal raster materialize: Materialize a piped dataset on disk to increase the efficiency of the following steps

• gdal raster mosaic: Build a mosaic, either virtual (VRT) or materialized.

• gdal raster neighbors: Compute the value of each pixel from its neighbors (focal statistics).

• gdal raster nodata-to-alpha: Replace nodata value(s) with an alpha band

• gdal raster overview: Manage overviews of a raster dataset

• gdal raster overview add: Add overviews to a raster dataset

• gdal raster overview delete: Remove overviews of a raster dataset

• gdal raster overview refresh: Refresh overviews

• gdal raster pansharpen: Perform a pansharpen operation

• gdal raster polygonize: Create a polygon feature dataset from a raster band

• gdal raster pixel-info: Return information on a pixel of a raster dataset

• gdal raster rgb-to-palette: Convert a RGB image into a pseudo-color / paletted image

• gdal raster reclassify: Reclassify a raster dataset

• gdal raster reproject: Reproject a raster dataset

• gdal raster resize: Resize a raster dataset without changing the georeferenced extents

• gdal raster roughness: Generate a roughness map.

• gdal raster scale: Scale the values of the bands of a raster dataset.

• gdal raster select: Select a subset of bands from a raster dataset.

• gdal raster set-type: Modify the data type of bands of a raster dataset

• gdal raster sieve: Remove small raster polygons.

• gdal raster slope: Generate a slope map.

• gdal raster stack: Combine together input bands into a multi-band output, either virtual (VRT) or materialized.

• gdal raster tile: Generate tiles in separate files from a raster dataset.

• gdal raster tpi: Generate a Topographic Position Index (TPI) map.

• gdal raster tri: Generate a Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) map.

• gdal raster unscale: Convert scaled values of a raster dataset into unscaled values.

• gdal raster update: Update the destination raster with the content of the input one.

• gdal raster viewshed: Compute the viewshed of a raster dataset.

• gdal raster zonal-stats: Compute raster zonal statistics

Pipelines:

• gdal raster pipeline: Process a raster dataset applying several steps

Vector commands

Single operations:

• gdal vector: Entry point for vector commands

• gdal vector buffer: Compute a buffer around geometries of a vector dataset

• gdal vector check-coverage: Check a polygon coverage for validity

• gdal vector check-geometry: Check a dataset for invalid or non-simple geometries

• gdal vector clean-coverage: Remove gaps and overlaps in a polygon dataset

• gdal vector clip: Clip a vector dataset

• gdal vector concat: Concatenate vector datasets

• gdal vector convert: Convert a vector dataset

• gdal vector edit: Edit metadata of a vector dataset

• gdal vector explode-collections: Explode geometries of type collection of a vector dataset

• gdal vector filter: Filter a vector dataset

• gdal vector grid: Create a regular grid from scattered points

• gdal vector info: Get information on a vector dataset

• gdal vector index: Create a vector index of vector datasets

• gdal vector layer-algebra: Perform algebraic operation between 2 layers.

• gdal vector make-point: Create point geometries from coordinate fields

• gdal vector make-valid: Fix validity of geometries of a vector dataset

• gdal vector materialize: Materialize a piped dataset on disk to increase the efficiency of the following steps

• gdal vector partition: Partition a vector dataset into multiple files

• gdal vector rasterize: Burns vector geometries into a raster

• gdal vector reproject: Reproject a vector dataset

• gdal vector segmentize: Segmentize geometries of a vector dataset

• gdal vector select: Select a subset of fields from a vector dataset.

• gdal vector set-field-type: Modify the type of a field of a vector dataset

• gdal vector set-geom-type: Modify the geometry type of a vector dataset

• gdal vector simplify: Simplify geometries of a vector dataset

• gdal vector simplify-coverage: Simplify shared boundaries of a polygonal vector dataset

• gdal vector sql: Apply SQL statement(s) to a dataset

• gdal vector swap-xy: Swap X and Y coordinates of geometries of a vector dataset

Pipelines:

• gdal vector pipeline: Process a vector dataset applying several steps

Multidimensional raster commands

• gdal mdim: Entry point for multidimensional commands

• gdal mdim info: Get information on a multidimensional dataset

• gdal mdim convert: Convert a multidimensional dataset

• gdal mdim mosaic: Build a mosaic, either virtual (VRT) or materialized, from multidimensional datasets.

Dataset management commands

• gdal dataset: Entry point for dataset management commands

• gdal dataset identify: Identify driver opening dataset(s)

• gdal dataset copy: Copy files of a dataset.

• gdal dataset rename: Rename files of a dataset.

• gdal dataset delete: Delete dataset(s)

Virtual System Interface (VSI) commands

• gdal vsi: Entry point for GDAL Virtual System Interface (VSI) commands

• gdal vsi copy: Copy files located on GDAL Virtual System Interface (VSI)

• gdal vsi delete: Delete files located on GDAL Virtual System Interface (VSI)

• gdal vsi list: List files of one of the GDAL Virtual System Interface (VSI)

• gdal vsi move: Move/rename a file/directory located on GDAL Virtual System Interface (VSI)

• gdal vsi sync: Synchronize source and target file/directory located on GDAL Virtual System Interface (VSI)

• gdal vsi sozip: SOZIP (Seek-Optimized ZIP) related commands

Driver specific commands

• gdal driver gpkg repack: Repack/vacuum in-place a GeoPackage dataset

• gdal driver gti create: Create an index of raster datasets compatible of the GDAL Tile Index (GTI) driver

• gdal driver openfilegdb repack: Repack in-place a FileGeodabase dataset

• gdal driver pdf list-layer: Return the list of layers of a PDF file.

"Traditional" applications

General

• Syntax of arguments of command-line utilities

Raster programs

• Common options

• gdal-config (Unix): Determines various information about a GDAL installation.

• gdal2tiles: Generates directory with TMS tiles, KMLs and simple web viewers.

• gdal2xyz: Translates a raster file into xyz format.

• gdal_calc: Command line raster calculator with numpy syntax.

• gdal_contour: Builds vector contour lines from a raster elevation model.

• gdal_create: Create a raster file (without source dataset).

• gdal_edit: Edit in place various information of an existing GDAL dataset.

• gdal_fillnodata: Fill raster regions by interpolation from edges.

• gdal_footprint: Compute footprint of a raster.

• gdal_grid: Creates regular grid from the scattered data.

• gdal_merge: Mosaics a set of images.

• gdal_pansharpen: Perform a pansharpen operation.

• gdal_polygonize: Produces a polygon feature layer from a raster.

• gdal_proximity: Produces a raster proximity map.

• gdal_rasterize: Burns vector geometries into a raster.

• gdal_retile: Retiles a set of tiles and/or build tiled pyramid levels.

• gdal_sieve: Removes small raster polygons.

• gdal_translate: Converts raster data between different formats.

• gdal_viewshed: Compute a visibility mask for a raster.

• gdaladdo: Builds or rebuilds overview images.

• gdalattachpct: Attach a color table to a raster file from an input file.

• gdalbuildvrt: Builds a VRT from a list of datasets.

• gdalcompare: Compare two images.

• gdaldem: Tools to analyze and visualize DEMs.

• gdalenhance: Enhance an image with LUT-based contrast enhancement

• gdalinfo: Lists information about a raster dataset.

• gdallocationinfo: Raster query tool

• gdalmanage: Identify, delete, rename and copy raster data files.

• gdalmove: Transform georeferencing of raster file in place.

• gdalsrsinfo: Lists info about a given SRS in number of formats (WKT, PROJ.4, etc.)

• gdaltindex: Builds an OGR-supported dataset as a raster tileindex.

• gdaltransform: Transforms coordinates.

• gdalwarp: Image reprojection and warping utility.

• nearblack: Convert nearly black/white borders to black.

• pct2rgb: Convert an 8bit paletted image to 24bit RGB.

• rgb2pct: Convert a 24bit RGB image to 8bit paletted.

Multidimensional Raster programs

• gdalmdiminfo: Reports structure and content of a multidimensional dataset.

• gdalmdimtranslate: Converts multidimensional data between different formats, and perform subsetting.

Vector programs

• Common options

• ogrinfo: Lists information about an OGR-supported data source.

• ogr2ogr: Converts simple features data between file formats.

• ogrtindex: Creates a tileindex.

• ogrlineref: Create linear reference and provide some calculations using it.

• ogrmerge: Merge several vector datasets into a single one.

• ogr_layer_algebra: Performs various Vector layer algebraic operations.

Geographic network programs

• gnmmanage: Manages networks

• gnmanalyse: Analyses networks

Other utilities

• sozip: Generate a seek-optimized ZIP (SOZip) file