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Understanding the User Interface

Understanding the User Interface

The Internetwork Operating System (IOS) user interface provides access to several different command modes. Each command mode provides a group of related commands. This chapter describes how to access and list the commands available in each command mode, and explains the primary uses for each command mode.

For security purposes, the IOS provides two levels of access to commands: user and privileged. The unprivileged, user mode is called user EXEC mode. The privileged mode is called privileged EXEC mode, and requires a password. The commands available in user EXEC mode are a subset of the commands available in privileged EXEC mode.

From the privileged level, you can access global configuration mode and nine specific configuration modes: interface, subinterface, controller, map-list, map-class, line, router, ipx-router, and route-map configuration. In addition, if your router does not find a valid system image, or if its configuration file is corrupted at startup, the system might enter read-only memory (ROM) monitor mode. Entering a question mark (?) at the system prompt allows you to obtain a list of commands available for each command mode.

Almost every system configuration command also has a no form. In general, use the no form to disable a feature or function. Use the command without the keyword no to reenable a disabled feature or to enable a feature that is disabled by default. For example, IP routing is enabled by default. Specify the command no ip routing to disable IP routing and specify ip routing to reenable it. The Router Products Command Reference publication provides the complete syntax for every router configuration command and describes what the no form of a command does.

The user interface also provides context-sensitive help on command syntax. This chapter describes how to use the help system. It also describes the command editing and command history features that enable you to recall previous command entries and easily edit command entries.

For a complete description of the commands mentioned in this chapter, refer to the "User Interface Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

User Interface Task List

You can perform the tasks in the following sections to become familiar with the IOS user interface:

Access Each Command Mode

This section describes how to access each of the IOS command modes:

Table 2-1 lists the command modes, how to access each mode, the prompt you will see while you are in that mode, the main uses for each configuration mode, and the method to exit that mode. The prompts listed assume the default router name "Router." Table 2-1 might not include all of the possible ways to access or exit each command mode.


Summary of Command Modes
Command Mode Access Method Prompt Exit Method
User EXEC Log in to router. Router> Use the logout command.
Privileged EXEC From user EXEC mode, use the enable EXEC command. Router# To exit back to user EXEC mode, use the disable command.

To exit into global configuration mode, use the configure privileged EXEC command.

Global configuration From privileged EXEC mode, use the configure privileged EXEC command. Router(config)# To exit to privileged EXEC mode, use the exit or end command or press Ctrl-Z.

To exit to interface configuration mode, enter an interface configuration command.

Interface configuration From global configuration mode, enter by specifying an interface with an interface command. Router(config-if)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

To exit to subinterface configuration mode, specify a subinterface with the interface command.

Subinterface configuration From interface configuration mode, specify a subinterface with an interface command. Router(config-subif)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Controller configuration From global configuration mode, use the controller command to configure a channelized T1 interface. Router(config-controller)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.
Map-list configuration From global configuration mode, define a map list with the map-list command. Router(config-map-list)# To exit to map-class configuration mode, use the map-class command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Map-class configuration From global configuration mode, configure a map class with the map-class command. Router(config-map-class)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Line configuration From global configuration mode, enter by specifying a line with a line command. Router(config-line)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Router configuration From global configuration mode, enter by specifying a router with a router command. Router(config-router)# To exit to global configuration mode, use exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Hub configuration From global configuration mode, enter by specifying a hub with the hub command. Router(config-hub)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

IPX-router configuration From global configuration mode, enter by specifying the ipx router command. Router(config-ipx-router)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.
Route-map configuration From global configuration mode, enter by specifying the route-map command. Router(config-route-map)# To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

ROM monitor From privileged EXEC mode, use the reload EXEC command. Press Break during the first 60 seconds while the system is booting. > To exit to user EXEC mode, press c to continue.

User EXEC Mode

After you log in to the router, you are automatically in user EXEC command mode. The EXEC commands available at the user level are a subset of those available at the privileged level. In general, the user EXEC commands allow you to connect to remote routers, change terminal settings on a temporary basis, perform basic tests, and list system information.

To list the user EXEC commands, complete the following task:

Task Command
List the user EXEC commands. ?

The user-level prompt consists of the router's host name followed by the angle bracket (>):

Router>

The default host name is Router unless it has been changed during initial configuration using the setup command. (Refer to the Router Products Getting Started Guide for information on the setup facility.) You can also change the router name using the hostname global configuration command described in the "System Management Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

To list the commands available in user EXEC mode, enter a question mark (?) as shown in the following example:

Router> ? Exec commands: connect Open a terminal connection disconnect Disconnect an existing telnet session enable Turn on privileged commands exit Exit from the EXEC help Description of the interactive help system lock Lock the terminal login Log in as a particular user logout Exit from the EXEC name-connection Name an existing telnet connection ping Send echo messages resume Resume an active telnet connection show Show running system information systat Display information about terminal lines telnet Open a telnet connection terminal Set terminal line parameters where List active telnet connections Router>

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

Privileged EXEC Mode

Because many of the privileged commands set operating parameters, privileged access should be password-protected to prevent unauthorized use. The privileged command set includes those commands contained in user EXEC mode, as well as the configure command through which you can access the remaining command modes. Privileged EXEC mode also includes high-level testing commands, such as debug. For details on the debug command, see the Debug Command Reference publication.

To access and list the privileged EXEC commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 Enter the privileged EXEC mode. enable
[password]
Step 2 List privileged EXEC commands. ?

If the system administrator has set a password, you are prompted to enter it before being allowed access to privileged EXEC mode. The password is not displayed on the screen and is case sensitive. The system administrator uses the enable password global configuration command to set the password that restricts access to privileged mode. This command is described in the "System Management Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

The privileged-level prompt consists of the router's host name followed by the pound sign (#). (If the router was named with the hostname command, that name would appear as the prompt instead of "Router.")

Router#

The following example shows how to access privileged EXEC mode and list privileged EXEC commands:

Router> enable Password: Router# ? Exec commands: bfe For manual emergency modes setting clear Reset functions clock Manage the system clock configure Enter configuration mode connect Open a terminal connection copy Copy a config file to or from a tftp server debug Debugging functions disable Turn off privileged commands disconnect Disconnect an existing telnet session enable Turn on privileged commands exit Exit from the EXEC help Description of the interactive help system llc2 Execute llc2 tests lock Lock the terminal login Log in as a particular user logout Exit from the EXEC name-connection  Name an existing telnet connection ping Send echo messages reload Halt and perform a cold restart resume Resume an active telnet connection send Send a message to other tty lines  setup Run the SETUP command facility show Show running system information systat Display information about terminal lines telnet Open a telnet connection terminal Set terminal line parameters test Test subsystems, memory, and interfaces trace Trace route to destination  where List active telnet connections which-route Do route table lookup and display results write Write running configuration to memory, network, or terminal

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

From the privileged level, you can access global configuration mode. For instructions, see the "Global Configuration Command Mode" section, which follows this section.

To return from privileged EXEC mode to user EXEC mode, perform the following task:

Task Command
Move from privileged EXEC mode to user EXEC mode. disable

Global Configuration Mode

Global configuration commands apply to features that affect the system as a whole. Use the configure privileged EXEC command to enter global configuration mode. When you enter this command, the EXEC prompts you for the source of the configuration commands:

Configuring from terminal, memory, or network [terminal]?

You can then specify either the terminal, nonvolatile memory (NVRAM), or a file stored on a network server as the source of configuration commands (see the "System Image, Microcode Image, and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication). The default is to enter commands from the terminal console. Pressing the Return key begins this configuration method.

Commands to enable a particular routing or bridging function are also global configuration commands. For information on protocol-specific global configuration commands, see the appropriate chapter in this guide.

To access and list the global configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 At the terminal, from the privileged EXEC mode, enter global configuration mode. configure1
<CR>
Step 2 List the global configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "System Image, Microcode Image, and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

The following example shows how to access global configuration mode and list global configuration commands:

Router# configure Configuring from terminal, memory, or network [terminal]? <CR> Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router(config)# ? Configure commands: access-list Add an access list entry apollo Apollo global configuration commands appletalk Appletalk global configuration commands arp Set a static ARP entry async-bootp Modify system bootp parameters autonomous-system Specify local AS number to which we belong banner Define a login banner boot Modify system boot parameters bridge Transparent bridging buffers Adjust system buffer pool parameters busy-message Display message when connection to host fails chat-script Define a modem chat script clns Global CLNS configuration subcommands  clock                   Configure time-of-day clock decnet Global DECnet configuration subcommands default-value Default character-bits values dialer-list Create a dialer list entry enable Modify enable password parameters end Exit from configure mode exit Exit from configure mode frame-relay Global frame relay configuration commands help Description of the interactive help system hostname Set system's network name interface Select an interface to configure ip Global IP configuration subcommands ipx Novell/IPX global configuration commands line Configure a terminal line lnm IBM Lan Manager locaddr-priority-list Establish queueing priorities based on LU address logging Modify message logging facilities login-string Define a host-specific login string mop The DEC MOP Server netbios NETBIOS access control filtering no Negate a command or set its defaults ntp Configure NTP priority-list Build a priority list  queue-list Build a custom queue list rif Source-route RIF cache route-map Create route-map or enter route-map command mode router Enable a routing process scheduler-interval Maximum interval before running lowest priority process service Modify use of network based services  smt-queue-threshold    Set the max number of unprocessed SMT frames snmp-server Modify SNMP parameters source-bridge Source-route bridging ring groups stun STUN global configuration commands tacacs-server Modify TACACS query parameters tftp-server Provide TFTP service for netload requests tn3270   tn3270 configuration command username Establish User Name Authentication vines Vines global configuration commands x25 X.25 Level 3 xns XNS global configuration commands

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit global configuration command mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, use one of the following commands:

Task Command
Exit global configuration mode. exit
end
Ctrl-Z

From global configuration mode, you can access nine configuration modes: interface, subinterface, controller, map-list, map-class, line, router, ipx-router, and route-map configuration commands. These command modes are described in the following sections.

Interface Configuration Mode

Many features are enabled on a per-interface basis. Interface configuration commands modify the operation of an interface such as an Ethernet, FDDI, or serial port. Interface configuration commands always follow an interface global configuration command, which defines the interface type.

For details on interface configuration commands that affect general interface parameters, such as bandwidth, clock rate, and so on, see the "Configuring Interfaces" chapter. For protocol-specific commands, see the appropriate chapter in this guide.

To access and list the interface configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, enter interface configuration mode. interface interface-type interface-number1
Step 2 List the interface configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

In the following example, serial interface 0 is about to be configured. The new prompt
Router(config-if)# indicates interface configuration mode. In this example, the user asks for help by requesting a list of commands.

Router(config)# interface serial 0 <CR> Router(config-if)# ? Interface configuration commands: access-expression Build a bridge boolean access expression apollo Apollo interface subcommands appletalk Appletalk interface subcommands arp Set arp type (arpa, probe, snap) or timeout backup Modify dial-backup parameters bandwidth Set bandwidth informational parameter bridge-group Transparent bridging interface parameters clns CLNS interface subcommands clockrate Configure serial interface clock speed custom-queue-list Assign a custom queue list to an interface decnet Interface DECnet config commands delay Specify interface throughput delay description Interface specific description dialer Dial-on-demand routing (DDR) commands dialer-group Assign interface to dialer-list down-when-looped Force looped serial interface down encapsulation Set encapsulation type for an interface ethernet-transit-oui  Token-ring to Ethernet OUI handling exit Exit from interface configuration mode frame-relay Set frame relay parameters hdh Set HDH mode help Description of the interactive help system hold-queue Set hold queue depth ip Interface Internet Protocol config commands ipx Novell interface subcommands isis IS-IS commands iso-igrp ISO-IGRP interface subcommands keepalive Enable keepalive lapb X.25 Level 2 parameters (Link Access Procedure, Balanced) llc2 LLC2 Interface Subcommands lnm IBM Lan Manager locaddr-priority Assign a priority group loopback Configure internal loopback on an interface mac-address Manually set interface MAC address mop DEC MOP server commands mtu Set the interface Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) netbios Use a defined NETBIOS access list or enable name-caching no Negate a command or set its defaults ntp Configure NTP ppp Point-to-point protocol priority-group Assign a priority group to an interface pulse-time Enables pulsing of DTR during resets pup PUP interface subcommands sdlc SDLC commands sdllc Configure SDLC to LLC2 translation shutdown Shutdown the selected interface smds Modify SMDS parameters source-bridge Configure interface for source-route bridging stun STUN interface subcommands transmit-interface Assign a transmit interface to a receive-only interface transmitter-delay Set dead-time after transmitting a datagram tunnel protocol-over-protocol tunneling tx-queue-limit Configure card level transmit queue limit vines Vines interface subcommands xns XNS interface subcommands

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit interface configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Subinterface Configuration Mode

You can configure multiple virtual interfaces (called subinterfaces) on a single physical interface. This feature is supported on serial interfaces with Frame Relay encapsulation.

Subinterfaces appear to be distinct physical interfaces to the various protocols. For example, Frame Relay networks provide multiple point-to-point links called permanent virtual circuits (PVCs). PVCs can be grouped under separate subinterfaces that in turn are configured on a single physical interface. From a bridging spanning-tree viewpoint, each subinterface is a separate bridge port, and a frame arriving on one subinterface can be sent out on a another subinterface.

Subinterfaces also allow multiple encapsulations for a protocol on a single interface. For example, a router can receive an ARPA-framed IPX packet and forward the packet back out the same physical interface as a SNAP-framed IPX packet.

For detailed information on how to configure subinterfaces, see the "Configuring Interfaces" chapter, later in this publication.

To access and list the subinterface configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From interface configuration mode, configure a virtual interface. See the example that follows. For a list of all interface commands that allow subinterface implementation, see the "Configuring Interfaces" chapter.
Step 2 List the subinterface configuration commands. ?

In the following example, a subinterface is configured for serial line 2, which is configured for Frame Relay encapsulation. The subinterface is called 2.1 to indicate that it is subinterface 1 of serial interface 2. The new prompt Router(config-subif)# indicates subinterface configuration mode. The subinterface can be configured to support one or more Frame Relay PVCs. To list the commands available in subinterface configuration mode, enter a question mark (?).

Router(config)# interface serial 2 Router(config-if)# encapsulation frame-relay Router(config-if)# interface serial 2.1 Router(config-subif)# ? Interface configuration commands: apollo    Apollo interface subcommands  appletalk Appletalk interface subcommands bandwidth Set bandwidth informational parameter bridge-group  Transparent bridging interface parameters clns CLNS interface subcommands decnet Interface DECnet config commands delay Specify interface throughput delay description Interface specific description exit Exit from interface configuration mode frame-relay Set frame relay parameters ip Interface Internet Protocol config commands ipx Novell interface subcommands isis IS-IS commands iso-igrp ISO-IGRP interface subcommands no Negate a command or set its defaults ntp Configure NTP shutdown Shutdown the selected interface

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit subinterface configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Controller Configuration Mode

You can configure channelized T1 interfaces in the controller configuration mode.

To access and list the controller configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, configure a channelized T1 interface. controller t1 slot/port1
Step 2 List the controller configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

In the following example, a channelized T1 interface is being configured on interface 0/0. The new prompt Router(config-controller)# indicates controller configuration mode.

Router(config)# controller t1 0/0 Router(config-controller)# ? Controller configuration commands: channel-group Specify the timeslots to channel-group mapping for an interface clocksource Specify the clock source for a DS1 link exit Exit from controller configuration mode framing Specify the type of Framing on a DS1 link help Description of the interactive help system linecode Specify the line encoding method for a DS1 link loopback Put the entire T1 line into loopback no Negate a command or set its defaults shutdown Shut down a DS1 link (send Blue Alarm)


Note  The controller configuration mode applies only to the Cisco 7000 series Multi Channel Interface Processor (MIP) that has one or two CxBus Channelized T1 (CxCT1) port adaptor modules attached.

Map-List Configuration Mode

The Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) interface in the Cisco 7000 series router supports a static mapping scheme that identifies the ATM address of remote hosts or routers.

Map-list configuration commands configure a map list. They always follow a map-list global configuration command. To access and list the map list configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, use the map-list command. map-list name1
Step 2 List the map-list configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "ATM Configuration Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

The following example shows how to enter map-list configuration mode and list the map list configuration commands. In this example, the static map-list configuration commands are listed. The new prompt Router(config-map-list)# indicates map-list configuration mode.

Router(config)# map-list atm Router(config-map-list)# ? Static maps list configuration commands: A.B.C.D Protocol specific address aarp AppleTalk ARP apollo Apollo Domain appletalk AppleTalk arp IP ARP bridge Bridging clns ISO CLNS clns_es ISO CLNS End System clns_is ISO CLNS Intermediate System cmns ISO CMNS compressedtcp Compressed TCP decnet DECnet decnet_node DECnet Node decnet_prime_router DECnet Prime Router decnet_router DECnet Router exit-class Exit from static map class configuration mode help Description of the interactive help system ip IP ipx Novell IPX no Negate or set default values of a command pad PAD links rsrb Remote Source-Route Bridging stun Serial Tunnel vines Banyan VINES xns Xerox Network Services

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit map-list configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuraton mode an return to privileged EXEC mode, pres Ctrl-Z.

Map-Class Configuration Mode

The ATM interface allows you to specify Quality of Service (QOS) parameters that control how much traffic the source router will be sending over a switched virtual circuit (SVC).

To define QOS parameters that are associated with a static map for an SVC, use the map-class global configuration command.

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, configure a map class. map-class encapsulation class-name1
Step 2 List the map-class configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "ATM Configuration Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

In the following example, the static map-class configuration commands are listed. The new prompt Router(config-map-class)# indicates map-class configuration mode.

Router(config)# map-class atm aaa Router(config-map-class)# ? Static maps class configuration commands: atm Configure atm static map class exit-class Exit from static map class configuration mode help Description of the interactive help system no Negate or set default values of a command

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit map-class configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuraton mode an return to privileged EXEC mode, pres Ctrl-Z.


Note The static mapping configuration mode applies only to the Cisco 7000 series router.

Line Configuration Mode

Line configuration commands modify the operation of a serial terminal line. Line configuration commands always follow a line command, which defines a line number. These commands are generally used to connect to remote routers, change terminal parameter settings on a line-by-line basis, and set up the auxiliary port modem configuration to support dial-on-demand routing (DDR) (see the "DDR Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication).

To access and list the auxiliary port, console port, and virtual terminal line configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, configure an auxiliary, console, or virtual terminal line. line {aux | con | vty} line-number [ending-line-number]1
Step 2 List the line configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "Terminal Lines and Modem Support Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

The following example shows how to enter line configuration mode for virtual terminal line 3 and list the line configuration commands. The new prompt Router(config-line)# indicates line configuration mode.

Router(config)# line vty 3 <CR> Router(config-line)# ? Line configuration commands: access-class Filter connections based on an IP access list activation-character Define the activation character autobaud Set line to autobaud autocommand Automatically execute an EXEC command autohangup Automatically hangup when last connection closes autohost Automatically connect to a host cts-required Require CTS on line data-character-bits Size of characters being handled databits Set number of data bits per character disconnect-character Define the disconnect character dispatch-character Define the dispatch character dispatch-timeout Set the dispatch timer editing Enable command line editing escape-character Change the current line's escape character exec Start an EXEC process exec-banner Enable the display of the EXEC banner exec-character-bits Size of characters to the command exec exec-timeout Set the EXEC timeout exit Exit from line configuration mode flowcontrol Set the flow control help Description of the interactive help system history Enable the command history function hold-character Define the hold character length Set number of lines on a screen location Enter terminal location description lockable Allow users to lock a line login Enable password checking modem Configure the Modem Control Lines monitor Copy debug output to the current terminal line no Negate a command or set its defaults notify Inform users of output from concurrent sessions padding Set padding for a specified output character parity Set terminal parity password Set a password private Configuration options that user can set will remain in effect between terminal sessions refuse-message Define a refuse banner rotary Add line to a rotary group rxspeed Set the receive speed session-limit Set maximum number of sessions session-timeout      Set interval for closing connection when there is no input traffic special-character-bits  Size of the escape (and other special) characters speed Set the transmit and receive speeds start-character Define the start character stop-character Define the stop character stopbits Set async line stop bits telnet Telnet protocol-specific configuration telnet-transparent Send a CR as a CR followed by a NULL instead of a CR followed by a LF terminal-type Set the terminal type transport Define transport protocols for line txspeed Set the transmit speeds vacant-message Define a vacant banner width Set width of the display terminal

The list of commands might vary from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit line configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, use the exit command. To exit configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Router Configuration Mode

Router configuration commands configure a routing protocol and always follow a router command. To access and list the router configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, enter router configuration mode. router [keyword]1
See the list in the example for keywords.
Step 2 List the router configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "IP Routing Protocols Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

To list the available router configuration keywords, enter the router command followed by a space and a question mark (?) at the global configuration prompt:

Router(config)# router ? bgp Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)  egp Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP)  igrp Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP) isis ISO IS-IS iso-igrp IGRP for OSI networks ospf Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) rip Routing Information Protocol (RIP) static Static CLNS Routing

In the following example, the router is configured to support the Routing Information Protocol (RIP). The new prompt is Router(config-router)#.

Router(config)# router rip Router(config-router)# ? router configuration commands: default-information Control distribution of default information default-metric Set metric of redistributed routes distance Define an administrative distance distribute-list Filter networks in routing updates exit Exit from routing protocol configuration mode help Description of the interactive help system neighbor Specify a neighbor router network Enable routing on an IP network no Negate or set default values of a command offset-list Add or subtract offset from IGRP, RIP, or HELLO metrics passive-interface Suppress routing updates on an interface redistribute Redistribute information from another routing protocol timers Adjust routing timers

The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your router has been configured.

To exit router configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

IPX-Router Configuration Mode

Internet Packet Exchange (IPX) is a Novell network-layer protocol. To access and list the IPX routing configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, enter IPX-router configuration mode. ipx router [keyword]1
See the Novell IPX chapter for keywords.
Step 2 List the IPX-router configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "Novell IPX Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

In the following example, IPX RIP routing is configured. The new prompt is Router(config-ipx-router)#.

Router(config)# ipx router rip<CR> Router(config-ipx-router)# ? Novell router configuration commands: distribute-list Filter networks in routing updates exit Exit from IPX routing protocol configuration mode help Description of the interactive help system network Enable routing on an IPX network no Negate or set default values of a command redistribute Enable routing protocol redistribution

To exit IPX-router configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

Route-Map Configuration Mode

Use the route-map configuration mode to configure routing table and source and destination information. To access and list the route-map configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, enter route-map configuration mode. route-map [route map tag]1
Step 2 List the route-map configuration commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "IP Routing Protocols Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication.

In the following example, a route map named arizona1 is configured. The new prompt is        Router(config-route-map)#. Enter a question mark (?) to list route-map configuration commands.

Router(config)# route-map arizona1 <CR> Router(config-route-map)# ? Route Map configuration commands: exit Exit from route-map configuration mode help Description of the interactive help system match  Match values from routing table no Negate or set default values of a command set Set values in destination routing protocol

To exit route-map configuration mode and return to global configuration mode, enter the exit command. To exit configuration mode and return to privileged EXEC mode, press Ctrl-Z.

ROM Monitor Mode

If your router does not find a valid system image, or if its configuration file is corrupted at startup, the system might enter read-only memory (ROM) monitor mode. From ROM monitor mode, you can boot the router or perform diagnostic tests.

From the Cisco 2000, Cisco 3000, and Cisco 4000, you can also enter ROM monitor mode by entering the reload EXEC command and then pressing the Break key during the first 60 seconds of startup. To save changes to the configuration file, use the write memory command before issuing the reload command.

To access and list the ROM monitor configuration commands, complete the following tasks:

Task Command
Enter ROM monitor mode from privileged EXEC mode. reload1
Press Break during the first 60 seconds while the system is booting.
List the ROM monitor commands. ?

1 This command is documented in the "System Image, Microcode Image, and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter of the Router Products Command Reference publication.

The ROM monitor prompt is the angle bracket (>):

> ? $ state Toggle cache state (? for help) B [filename] [TFTP Server IP address | TFTP Server Name] Load and execute system image from ROM or from TFTP server C [address] Continue execution [optional address] D /S M L V Deposit value V of size S into location L with modifier M E /S M L Examine location L with size S with modifier M G [address] Begin execution H Help for commands I Initialize K Stack trace L [filename] [TFTP Server IP address | TFTP Server Name] Load system image from ROM or from TFTP server, but do not begin execution O Show configuration register option settings P Set the break point S Single step next instruction T function Test device (? for help) Deposit and Examine sizes may be B (byte), L (long) or S (short). Modifiers may be R (register) or S (byte swap). Register names are: D0-D7, A0-A6, SS, US, SR, and PC

To return to user EXEC mode, enter c to continue. To boot the system image file, use the b command (described in the "System Image, Microcode Image, and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter in the Router Products Command Reference publication). For details on other ROM monitor mode commands, refer to the appropriate hardware installation guide.

Get Context-Sensitive Help

The previous sections described the first level of help available with the user interface. Entering a question mark (?) at the system prompt displays a list of commands available for each command mode. You can also get a list of any command's associated keywords and arguments with the context-sensitive help feature.

To get help specific to a command mode, a command, a keyword, or arguments, perform one of the following tasks:

Task Command
Obtain a brief description of the help system in any command mode. help
Obtain help for the full set of user-level commands. full-help
Obtain help for the full set of user-level commands in user EXEC command mode. terminal full-help1
Obtain a list of commands that begin with a particular character string. abbreviated-command-entry?
Complete a partial command name. abbreviated-command-entry<Tab>
List all commands available for a particular command mode. ?
List a command's associated keywords. command ?
List a keyword's associated arguments. command keyword ?

1 This command is documented in the Cisco Access Connection Guide.

When using context-sensitive help, the space (or lack of a space) before the question mark (?) is significant. To obtain a list of commands that begin with a particular character sequence, type in those characters followed immediately by the question mark (?). Do not include a space. This form of help is called word help, because it completes a word for you.

To list keywords or arguments, enter a questio mark (?) in place of a keyword or argument. Include a space before the ?. This form of help is called command syntax help, because it reminds you which keywords or arguments are applicable based on the command, keywords, and arguments you already have entered.

You can abbreviate commands and keywords to the number of characters that allow a unique abbreviation. For example, you can abbreviate the show command to sh.

Enter the help command (which is available in any command mode) for a brief description of the help system:

Router# help Help may be requested at any point in a command by entering a question mark '?'. If nothing matches, the help list will be empty and you must back up until entering a '?' shows the available options. Two styles of help are provided: 1. Full help is available when you are ready to enter a command argument (e.g. 'show ?') and describes each possible argument. 2. Partial help is provided when an abbreviated argument is entered and you want to know what arguments match the input (e.g. 'show pr?'.)

As described in the help command output, you can enter a partial command name and a question mark (?) to obtain a list of commands beginning with a particular character set. See "Complete a Partial Command Name" later in this chapter for more detail.

The following example illustrates how the context-sensitive help feature enables you to create an access list from configuration mode. First enter the letters co at the system prompt followed by a question mark (?). Do not leave a space between the last letter and the question mark (?). The system provides the commands that begin with co.

Router# co? configure connect copy

Enter the configure command followed by a space and a question mark (?) to list the command's keywords and a brief explanation:

Router# configure ? memory Configure from NV memory network Configure from a TFTP network host terminal Configure from the terminal <cr>

Enter the terminal keyword to enter configuration mode from the terminal:

Router# configure terminal Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router(config)#

Enter the access-list command followed by a space and a question mark (?) to list the command's keywords:

Router(config)# access-list ? <1-99> IP standard access list <100-199> IP extended access list <1000-1099> IPX SAP access list <1100-1199> Extended 48-bit MAC address access list <200-299> Protocol type-code access list <300-399> DECnet access list <400-499> XNS standard access list <500-599> XNS extended access list <600-699> Appletalk access list <700-799> 48-bit MAC address access list <800-899> IPX standard access list <900-999> IPX extended access list

Enter the access list number 99 and then enter another question mark (?) to see the arguments that apply to the keyword and brief explanations:

Router(config)# access-list 99 ? deny Specify packets to reject permit Specify packets to forward

Enter the deny argument followed by a question mark (?) to list additional options:

Router(config)# access-list 99 deny ? A.B.C.D Address to match

Enter the IP address followed by a question mark (?) to list additional options:

Router(config)# access-list 99 deny 131.108.134.0 ? A.B.C.D Mask of bits to ignore <cr>

The <cr> symbol appears in the list, indicating that one of your options is to press Return to execute the command. The other option is to add a wildcard mask. Enter the wildcard mask followed by a question mark (?) to list further options.

Router(config)# access-list 99 deny 131.108.134.0 0.0.0.255 ? <cr> Router(config)# access-list 99 deny 131.108.134.0 0.0.0.255

The <cr> symbol by itself indicates there are no more keywords or arguments. Press Return to execute the command. The system adds an entry to access list 99 that denies access to all hosts on subnet 131.108.134.0.

Check Command Syntax

The user interface provides syntax checking in the form of an error location indicator (^). The ^ symbol appears at the point in the command string where you have entered an incorrect command, keyword, or argument. The error location indicator and interactive help system allow you to easily find and correct syntax errors.

In the following example, suppose you want to set the router clock. First, use context-sensitive help to check the syntax for setting the clock.

Router# clock ? set Set the time and date Router# clock

The help output shows that the set keyword is required. Next, check the syntax for entering the time:

Router# clock set ? hh:mm:ss Current time Router# clock set

Enter the current time:

Router# clock set 13:32:00 % Incomplete command.

The system indicates that you need to provide additional arguments to complete the command. Press Ctrl-P (see the next section, "Use the Command History Features") to automatically repeat the previous command entry. Then add a space and question mark (?) to reveal the additional arguments:

Router# clock set 13:32:00 ? <1-31> Day of the month January Month of the year February March April May June July August September October November December

Now you can complete the command entry:

Router# clock set 13:32:00 23 February 93 ^ % Invalid input detected at '^' marker.

The caret symbol (^) and help response indicate an error at 93. To list the correct syntax, enter the command up to the point where the error occurred and then enter a question mark (?):

Router# clock set 13:32:00 23 February ? <1993-2035> Year Router# clock set 13:32:00 23 February

Enter the year using the correct syntax and press Return to execute the command.

Router# clock set 13:32:00 23 February 1993

Use the Command History Features

With the current software release, the user interface provides a history or record of commands you have entered. This feature is particularly useful for recalling long or complex commands or entries, including access lists. With the command history feature, you can complete the tasks in the following sections:

Set the Command History Buffer Size

By default, the system records ten command lines in its history buffer. To set the number of command lines the system will record during the current terminal session, complete the following task in EXEC mode:

Task Command
Enable the command history feature for the current terminal session. terminal history [size number-of-lines]1

1 This command is documented in the Cisco Access Connnection Guide.

The terminal history no size command resets to default.

To configure the number of command lines the system will record, complete the following task in line configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable the command history feature. history [size number-of-lines]1

1 The no history command resets to default.

Recall Commands

To recall commands from the history buffer, perform one of the following tasks:

Task Key Sequence/Command
Recall commands in the history buffer, beginning with the most recent command. Repeat the key sequence to recall successively older commands. Press Ctrl-P or the up arrow key.1
Return to more recent commands in the history buffer after recalling commands with Ctrl-P or the up arrow key. Repeat the key sequence to recall successively more recent commands. Press Ctrl-N or the down arrow key.1
While in EXEC mode, list the commands you have just entered. show history

1 The arrow keys function only on ANSI-compatible terminals such as VT100s.

Disable the Command History Feature

The command history feature is automatically enabled. To disable it during the current terminal session, complete the following task in EXEC mode:

Task Command
Disable the command history feature for the current session. terminal no history1

1 This command is documented in the Cisco Access Connnection Guide.

To configure a specific line so that the command history feature is disabled, complete the following task in line configuration mode:

Task Command
Configure the line so that the command history feature is disabled. no history

Use the Editing Features

The current software release includes an enhanced editing mode that provides a set of editing key functions similar to those of the Emacs editor.

You can enter commands in uppercase, lowercase, or a mix of both. Only passwords are casesensitive. You can abbreviate commands and keywords to the number of characters that allow a unique abbreviation. For example, you can abbreviate the show command to sh. After entering the command line at the system prompt, press the Return key to execute the command.

The following subsections are included in this section:

Enable Enhanced Editing Mode

Although enhanced editing mode is automatically enabled with the current software release, you can disable it and revert to the editing mode of previous software releases. See the section "Disable Enhanced Editing Mode" later in this chapter.

To reenable the enhanced editing mode for the current terminal session, complete the following task in EXEC mode:

Task Command
Enable the enhanced editing features for the current terminal session. terminal editing1

1 This command is documented in the Cisco Access Connection Guide.

To reconfigure a specific line to have enhanced editing mode, complete the following task in line configuration mode:

Task Command
Enable the enhanced editing features. editing

Move Around on the Command Line

Perform the following tasks to move the cursor around on the command line for corrections or changes:

Task Keystrokes
Move the cursor back one character. Press Ctrl-B or
press the left arrow key.1
Move the cursor forward one character. Press Ctrl-F or
press the right arrow key.1
Move the cursor to the beginning of the command line. Press Ctrl-A.
Move the cursor to the end of the command line. Press Ctrl-E.
Move the cursor back one word. Press Esc-B.
Move the cursor forward one word. Press Esc-F.

1 The arrow keys function only on ANSI-compatible terminals such as VT100s.

Complete a Partial Command Name

If you cannot remember a complete command name, you can use the Tab key to allow the system to complete a partial entry. To do so, perform the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Recall a complete command name. Enter the first few letters and press the Tab key.

If your keyboard does not have a Tab key, press Ctrl-I instead.

In the following example, when you enter the letters conf and press the Tab key, the system provides the complete command:

Router# conf<Tab> Router# configure

If you enter a set of characters that could indicate more than one command, the system beeps to indicate an error. Enter a question mark (?) to obtain a list of commands that begin with that set of characters. Do not leave a space between the last letter and the question mark (?).

For example, there are three commands in privileged mode that start with co. To see what they are, type co? at the privileged EXEC prompt:

Router# co? configure connect copy Router# co

Paste in Buffer Entries

The system provides a buffer that contains the last ten items you deleted. You can recall these items and paste them in the command line by performing the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Step 1 Recall the most recent entry in the buffer. Press Ctrl-Y.
Step 2 Recall the next buffer entry. Press Esc-Y.

The buffer contains only the last ten items you have deleted or cut. If you press Esc-Y more than ten times, you will cycle back to the first buffer entry.

Edit Command Lines that Wrap

The new editing command set provides a wraparound feature for commands that extend beyond a single line on the screen. When the cursor reaches the right margin, the command line shifts ten spaces to the left. You cannot see the first ten characters of the line, but you can scroll back and check the syntax at the beginning of the command. To scroll back, perform the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Return to the beginning of a command line to verify that you have entered a lengthy command correctly. Press Ctrl-B or the left arrow key repeatedly until you scroll back to the beginning of the command entry, or press Ctrl-A to return directly to the beginning of the line.1

1 The arrow keys function only on ANSI-compatible terminals such as VT100s.

In the following example, the access-list command entry extends beyond one line. When the cursor first reaches the end of the line, the line is shifted ten spaces to the left and redisplayed. The dollar sign ($) indicates that the line has been scrolled to the left. Each time the cursor reaches the end of the line, the line is again shifted ten spaces to the left.

Router(config)# access-list 101 permit tcp 131.108.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1 Router(config)# $ 101 permit tcp 131.108.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1.20 255.25 Router(config)# $t tcp 131.108.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1.20 255.255.255.0 eq Router(config)# $108.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1.20 255.255.255.0 eq 45

When you have completed the entry, press Ctrl-A to check the complete syntax before pressing the Return key to execute the command. The dollar sign ($) appears at the end of the line to indicate that the line has been scrolled to the right:

Router(config)# access-list 101 permit tcp 131.108.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1$

The router assumes you have a terminal screen that is 80 columns wide. If you have a width other than that, use the terminal width command to tell the router the correct width of your terminal.

Use line wrapping in conjunction with the command history feature to recall and modify previous complex command entries. See the section "Recall Commands" earlier in this chapter for information about recalling previous command entries.

Delete Entries

Perform any of the following tasks to delete command entries if you make a mistake or change your mind:

Task Keystrokes
Erase the character to the left of the cursor. Press the Delete or Backspace key.
Delete the character at the cursor. Press Ctrl-D.
Delete all characters from the cursor to the end of the command line. Press Ctrl-K.
Delete all characters from the cursor to the beginning of the command line. Press Ctrl-U or Ctrl-X.
Delete the word to the left of the cursor. Press Ctrl-W.
Delete from the cursor to the end of the word. Press Esc-D.

Scroll Down a Line or a Screen

When you use the help facility to list the commands available in a particular mode, the list is often longer than the terminal screen can display. In such cases, a ---More--- prompt is displayed at the bottom of the screen. To view the next line or screen, complete the following tasks:

Task Keystrokes
Scroll down one line. Press the Return key.
Scroll down one screen. Press the Space bar.

Note The ---More--- prompt is used for any output that has more lines than can be displayed on the terminal screen, including show command output. You can use the keystrokes listed above whenever you see the ---More--- prompt.

Redisplay the Current Command Line

If you are entering a command and the system suddenly sends a message to your screen, you can easily recall your current command line entry. To do so, perform the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Redisplay the current command line. Press Ctrl-L or Ctrl-R.

Transpose Mistyped Characters

If you have mistyped a command entry, you can transpose the mistyped characters by performing the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Transpose the character to the left of the cursor with the character located at the cursor. Press Ctrl-T.

Control Capitalization

You can capitalize or lowercase words or capitalize a set of letters with simple keystroke sequences. To do so, perform the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Capitalize the word at the cursor. Press Esc-C.
Change the word at the cursor to lowercase. Press Esc-L.
Capitalize letters from the cursor to the end of the word. Press Esc-U.

Designate a Keystroke as a Command Entry

Sometimes you might want to use a particular keystroke as an executable command, perhaps as a shortcut. Complete the following task to insert a system code for this purpose:

Task Keystrokes
Insert a code to indicate to the system that the keystroke immediately following should be treated as a command entry, not an editing key. Press Ctrl-V or Esc-Q.

Disable Enhanced Editing Mode

To disable enhanced editing mode and revert to the editing mode of software releases before 9.21, perform the following task in EXEC mode:

Task Command
Disable the enhanced editing features for the local line. terminal no editing1

1 This command is documented in the Cisco Access Connection Guide.

You might want to disable enhanced editing if you have prebuilt scripts; for example, scripts that do not interact well when enhanced editing is enabled. You can reenable enhanced editing mode with the terminal editing command.

The editing keys and functions of software releases before 9.21 are listed in Table 2-2.


Editing Keys and Functions for Software Release 9.1 and Earlier
Key Function
Delete or Backspace Erases the character to the left of the cursor.
Ctrl-W Erases a word.
Ctrl-U Erases a line.
Ctrl-R Redisplays a line.
Ctrl-Z Ends configuration mode and returns to the EXEC prompt.
Return Executes single-line commands.


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