Windows netsh wlan show profile key=clear equivalent in Linux
Shows saved Wi-Fi connection details and secrets when permitted.
netsh wlan show profile key=clear
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "netsh wlan show profile key=clear" is used to show saved Wi-Fi profile. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets". Shows saved Wi-Fi connection details and secrets when permitted. This reference is grouped under Networking → Wi-Fi.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows netsh wlan show profile key=clear maps to nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux networking for Windows users.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Show saved Wi-Fi profile
Shows saved Wi-Fi connection details and secrets when permitted.
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets
Show saved Wi-Fi profile
nmcli --help
Show command help when supported
man nmcli
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: netsh wlan show profile key=clear
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secretsReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets | Show saved Wi-Fi profile |
nmcli --help | Show command help when supported |
man nmcli | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | nmcli connection show "SSID" --show-secrets |
Same command on this distribution. |
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