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Chapter 2: Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) Fundamentals
Figure 2-4
User and Privileged Modes
Navigating the IOS CLI
Several references are available for help when you are using the IOS. IOS documentation is
available on CD and is free from Cisco if you own one router or switch under a current
maintenance agreement. Paper documentation is also available from Cisco. If you prefer, Cisco
Press offers the Cisco Documentation series (more information at www.ciscopress.com). In
addition, all Cisco documentation is available online at Cisco's Web site (www.cisco.com/
univercd/home/home.htm); the IOS command reference is found at www.cisco.com/univercd/
cc/td/doc/product/software/ios120/12cgcr/index.htm.
No matter which documentation you use, it is incredibly unlikely that you will remember all
IOS commands. (The command reference manuals stack 14 inches high.) Therefore, you will
find tools and tricks to recall commands particularly useful. Table 2-4 summarizes command
recall help options available at the CLI. Note that in the first column, "Command" represents
any command. Likewise, "parm" represents a command's parameter. For instance, the third row
lists "command ?," which means that commands such as show ? and copy ? would list help for
the show and copy commands, respectively.
Table 2-4
IOS Command Help
What You Type
The Help You Get
?
Help for all commands available in this mode.
help
Text describing how to get help. No actual command help is given.
command ?
Text help describing all the first parameter options for the command
command.
com?
A list of commands that start with "com."
command parm?
This style of help lists all parameters beginning with "parm." (Notice, no
spaces exist between "parm" and the ?.)
User Mode
*Privileged
Mode
Enable
Disable
*Also called
Enable Mode
Console
Aux
Telnet
ch02.fm Page 30 Monday, March 20, 2000 4:57 PM