Installing Official Speedtest CLI by Ookla on Debian Linux

Date: June 3, 2025
Category: Networking / Monitoring
Backlink: N/A

Description

This guide explains how to install the official Speedtest CLI by Ookla on a Raspberry Pi 5 running Debian Bookworm. Unlike the legacy speedtest-cli, this version offers more accurate and reliable results and is the preferred tool for benchmarking internet speed.

You can get the latest repo here if it changes:
https://www.speedtest.net/apps/cli

Installation Steps

1. Add the Ookla repository

curl -s https://packagecloud.io/install/repositories/ookla/speedtest-cli/script.deb.sh | sudo bash

2. Install the Speedtest CLI

sudo apt install speedtest

Note: If a file conflict occurs with speedtest-cli, you may need to rename or uninstall the legacy version.

Usage

To run a test:

speedtest

Sample output:

Speedtest by Ookla

     Server: Contabo - St. Louis, MO
        ISP: Spectrum
    Latency: 34.91 ms
   Download: 29.85 Mbps
     Upload: 39.39 Mbps

 Notes

• Ookla CLI is installed at: /usr/bin/speedtest

• Coexists with speedtest-cli, which uses a different backend

• Great for:

  • Spot-checking network health

  • Logging real-world bandwidth over time

  • Comparing ISP performance