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Table of Contents

Command Line Interfaces

Command Line Interfaces

You configure and maintain the Catalyst 5000 series switch by entering commands from the Command Line Interface (CLI). Through the CLI, you can configure and maintain the Catalyst 5000 components. Specific commands are available in each of the two types of commands: switch commands and ATM module commands.

Switch Command Line Interface

The CLI for the Catalyst 5000 series switch is a basic command line interpreter similar to that of the UNIX C Shell. Command line editing is provided, including history substitution and the creation of aliases.

You access the CLI from a console terminal connected to an EIA/TIA-232 port or through a Telnet session. The CLI allows fixed baud rates. Telnet sessions are automatically disconnected after remaining idle for a configurable time period.

Connection through EIA/TIA-232

To access the switch through the EIA/TIA-232 port, use the following procedure:

Task Command
From the Cisco Systems Console prompt, press Return. None
At the prompt, enter the system password. The Console> prompt appears indicating that you have successfully accessed the CLI in normal mode. None
Enter the necessary commands to complete your desired tasks. Appropriate commands
When finished, exit the session. quit

A connection through the console port (EIA/TIA-232) displays the following prompts on the terminal:

Cisco Systems Console
Enter password:
Console>
Console>
Console> quit

Connection through Telnet

To use Telnet, you must have previously set the IP address for the switch. Refer to the "Configuring the Software" chapter for information about setting the IP address. Multiple sessions through Telnet are possible.

To access the switch from a remote host with Telnet, perform the following tasks:

Task Command
From the remote host, enter the telnet command and designate the name or IP address of the switch you want to access. telnet hostname | ip address
At the prompt, enter the password for the CLI. The default password is Return unless a password was previously established using the set password command (See the chapter "Command Reference" for details about the set password command.) None
Enter the necessary commands to complete your desired tasks. Appropriate commands
When finished, exit the Telnet session. Refer to Figure 2-1 for a sample Telnet session. quit

Figure 2-1: Telnet Session Sample 
% telnet catalyst1
Trying 123.236.273.11...
Connected to catalyst1.
Escape character is '^]'.


Cisco Systems Console                   Fri Mar 10 1995, 17:50:45


Enter password:
Sorry.  Try again.
Enter password:
Console>
Console>
Console> quit
Connection closed by foreign host.
%

Command Line Processing

The switch administration command sets are not case sensitive. In addition, commands and parameters can be abbreviated as long as they contain enough letters to be unique with reference to the other commands or parameters at that level. When entering a command, use Ctrl-W to delete the last word typed; use Ctrl-U to delete an entire line. If you make a mistake while entering a command, use the Delete or Backspace key to erase the mistake, and then reenter the command. The escape sequence Ctrl-C terminates prompts and lengthy tasks.

History Substitution

Commands that you enter during each terminal session are stored in a history buffer. Commands in the history buffer may be repeated or edited in a style similar to using the UNIX C Shell. The history buffer stores the last 20 commands entered during a terminal session.

To repeat a recent command:

!! - repeat the most recent command
!-nn - repeat the nnth most recent command
!nn - repeat command nn
!aaa - repeat the command beginning with string aaa
!?aaa - repeat the command containing the string aaa

To modify and repeat the most recent command:

^aaa^bbb - replace the string aaa with the string bbb in the most recent command

To add a string to the end of a previous command and repeat it:

!!aaa - add string aaa to the end of the most recent command
!nn aaa - add string aaa to the end of command nn
!aaa bbb - add string bbb to the end of the command beginning with string aaa
!?aaa bbb - add string bbb to the end of the command containing the string aaa

Command Modes

There are two modes of operation: normal and privileged. Both are password protected. Use normal-mode commands for everyday system monitoring. Use privileged commands for system configuration and basic troubleshooting.

After you log in successfully, the system automatically enters normal mode, which gives you access to normal-mode commands only. You can enter privileged mode by issuing the enable command followed by a second password. Privileged mode is indicated by (enable) immediately after the system prompt. To return to normal mode, enter the disable command at the prompt.

The following is a sample session showing entry into privileged mode:

Cisco Systems Console                   Fri Mar 10 1995, 17:50:45
Enter password:
Console>
Console>
Console> enable
Enter Password:
Console> (enable)

Command Help

Context-sensitive help for commands is provided. Type help or ? in normal or privileged mode to see a listing of the commands available in those modes. On selected commands, typing help or ? after a command will provide additional information. In general, command usage, the help menu, and, when appropriate, parameter ranges are provided if you enter a command using the wrong number of arguments or inappropriate arguments.

The ? command allows you to display usage and syntax information about a specific command or to list groups of commands. In normal mode, use the ? command to display a list of top-level commands, as follows:

Console> ?
Commands:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
enable	Enable privileged mode
help	Show this message
history	Show contents of history substitution buffer
ping	Send echo packets to hosts
quit	Exit from the Admin session
set	Set, use 'set help' for more info
session	Tunnel in ATM Module
show	Show, use 'show help' for more info
wait	Wait for x seconds
Console>
Note The overall function of the ? command is the same as the help command.

In privileged mode, use the ? command to display a list of commands, as follows:

Console> enable
Enter password:
Console> (enable) ?
Commands:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
clear               Clear, use 'clear help' for more info
configure           Configure system from terminal/network
disable             Disable privileged mode
disconnect          Disconnect user session
download            Download code to a processor
enable              Enable privileged mode
help                Show this message
history             Show contents of history substitution buffer
ping                Send echo packets to hosts
quit                Exit from the Admin session
reset               Reset system or module
session	             Sets alias for command
set                 Set, use 'set help' for more info
show                Show, use 'show help' for more info
slip                Attach/detach Serial Line IP interface
telnet              Starts a telnet connection from a remote host
test                Test, use 'test help' for more info
upload              Upload code from a processor
wait                Wait for x seconds
write               Write system configuration to terminal/network
Console> (enable)
Note In general, you can use the ? command appended to any command associated with a group of commands, for example, clear, set, and show. Or you can append ? to any specific command for a list of usage and syntax information. For an example of how you can use the ? command to display usage and syntax information about a specific command, refer to the chapter "Command Reference."

Designating Modules, Ports, and VLANs

The Catalyst 5000 series switch is a multimodule system. Commands you enter from the CLI can apply to the entire system or to a specific module, port, or VLAN.

The Catalyst 5000 modules (module slots), ports, and VLANs are numbered starting with 1. The supervisor module is module 1, residing in the top slot. On each module, port 1 is the left most port. To reference a specific port on a specific module, the command syntax is mod_num/port_num. For example, 3/1 denotes module 3, port 1. In some commands, such as set trunk, set cam, and set vlan commands, you can enter lists of ports and VLANs.

You designate ports by entering the module and port number pairs, separated by commas. To specify a range of ports, use a dash (-) between the module number and port number pairs. Dashes take precedence over commas. The following examples show several ways of designating ports:

Example 1. 2/1,2/3 denotes module 2, port 1 and module 2, port 3

Example 2. 2/1-12 denotes module 2, ports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12

Example 3. 2/1-2/12 is the same as Example 2

Each VLAN is designated by a single number. You specify lists of VLANs the same way you do for ports. Individual VLANs are separated by commas (,); ranges are separated by dashes (-). In the following example, VLAN numbers 1 through 10 and VLAN 1000 are specified:

1-10,1000

Designating MAC Addresses, IP Addresses, and IP Aliases

Some commands require a MAC address, IP address, or IP alias, which must be designated in a standard format. The MAC address format must be six hexadecimal numbers separated by hyphens, as shown in the following example: 

00-00-0c-24-d2-fe

The IP address format is 32 bits, written as four octets separated by periods (dotted decimal format) that are made up of a network section, an optional subnet section, and a host section, as shown in the following example:

126.2.54.1

If the IP alias table is configured, you can use IP aliases in place of the dotted decimal IP address. This is true for most commands that use an IP address, except commands that define the IP address or IP alias. (See the set interface and set ip alias commands in the "Command Reference" chapter.)

ATM Module Command Line Interface

If an ATM module is installed in the Catalyst 5000, you can open a session with the ATM module. To open a session with the ATM module, use the session mod_num command from the Console> prompt. After you enter this command, the switch responds with the Enter Password prompt. Enter atm as the default password. At this point, you are at the ATM#> prompt, and you have direct access to only the ATM module that you have established a session with.

The ATM module uses a subset of the Internetwork Operating System (IOS) software. Generally, the IOS software works the same on the ATM module as it does on routers. This section explains the IOS software specifically used to configure the ATM module interface.

The Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco 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 Cisco 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 default password to access privileged EXEC mode on the ATM module is atm. 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 the six configuration modes: user EXEC, privileged EXEC, global configuration, interface configuration, line configuration, and LANE database configuration. Entering a question mark (?) at the system prompt displays a list of commands available for each command mode.

Almost every 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. Refer to the "Command Reference" chapter for the complete syntax for every ATM module command and descriptions of what the no form of the commands 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.

User Interface Task List

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

Accessing the Command Modes

This section describes how to access each of the Cisco 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 name "ATM." Table 2-1 might not include all of the possible ways to access or exit each command mode.


Table  2-1: Command Modes Summary
Command Mode Access Method Prompt Exit Method
User EXEC Begin a session with the ATM module. ATM> Use the logout command.
Privileged EXEC From user EXEC mode, use the enable EXEC command.
When the Enter Password prompt appears, enter the default password atm. 		ATM# To exit to user EXEC mode, use the disable command.

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

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

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

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

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, use the exit command or press Ctrl-Z.

To enter subinterface configuration mode, specify a subinterface with the interface command. On the ATM module, the LANE client is considered a subinterface.

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

To enter privileged EXEC mode use the end command or press Ctrl-Z.

LANE database configuration From global EXEC mode, use the lane database database name command. ATM (config-if) To exit to global configuration mode, use the exit command.

To exit to privileged EXEC mode, use the end command or press Ctrl-Z.

User EXEC Mode

After you log in to the ATM module, 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 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 ATM followed by the angle bracket (>):

ATM>

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

ATM>?
Exec commands:
  connect1	Open a terminal connection
  disable          Turn off privileged commands
  disconnect1	Disconnect an existing network connection
  enable           Turn on privileged commands
  exit             Exit from the EXEC
  help             Description of the interactive help system
  lock1	Lock the terminal
  login1	Log in as a particular user
  logout           Exit from the EXEC
  name-connection1	Name an existing network connection
  ping1	Send echo messages
  resume1	Resume an active network connection
  show             Show running system information
  systat           Display information about terminal lines
  telnet1	Open a telnet connection
  terminal         Set terminal line parameters
  traceroute1	Trace route to destination
  tunnel1	Open a tunnel connection
	where1	List active connections
 
ATM>

1. Although this command appears, it is currently not supported in this software release.

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 commands, 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. If an enable password has not been set, enabled mode can only be accessed from the console. The password for the ATM module is atm.

The privileged EXEC mode prompt consists of ATM followed by the pound sign (#).

ATM#

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

ATM>enable
Password: 
ATM#?
Exec commands:
  clear	Reset functions
  clock1	Manage the system clock
  configure	Enter configuration mode
  connect1	Open a terminal connection
  copy1	Copy a config file to or from a tftp server
  debug	Debugging functions (see also 'undebug')
  disable	Turn off privileged commands
  disconnect1	Disconnect an existing network connection
  enable	Turn on privileged commands
  exit	Exit from the EXEC
  help	Description of the interactive help system
  lock1	Lock the terminal
  login1	Log in as a particular user
  logout	Exit from the EXEC
  name-connection1	Name an existing network connection
  no	Disable debugging functions
  ping1	Send echo messages
  reload	Halt and perform a cold restart
  resume1	Resume an active network connection
  rsh1	Execute a remote command
	send1	Send a message to other tty lines
  setup1	Run the SETUP command facility
  show	Show running system information
  systat	Display information about terminal lines
  telnet1	Open a telnet connection
  terminal	Set terminal line parameters
  test1	Test subsystems, memory, and interfaces
  traceroute1	Trace route to destination
  tunnel1	Open a tunnel connection
  undebug	Disable debugging functions (see also 'debug')
  where1	List active connections
  write	Write running configuration to memory2, network, or terminal2
 
ATM#

1. Although this command appears, it is currently not supported in this software release.
2. Currently, only the write memory and write terminal commands are supported. The write network command is not supported.

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

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

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

Global Configuration Mode

Global configuration commands apply to features that affect the ATM module 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.

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. configure
Step 2 List the global configuration commands. ?

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

ATM#configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.
ATM(config)#?
Configure commands:
  aaa1 	Authentication, Authorization and Accounting.
  access-list1	Add an access list entry
  alias 	Create command alias
  arp1	Set a static ARP entry
  async-bootp1	Modify system bootp parameters
  banner	Define a login banner
  boot1	Modify system boot parameters
  buffers	Adjust system buffer pool parameters
  clock1	Configure time-of-day clock
  config-register1	Define the configuration register
	downward-compatible config	Generate a configuration compatible with older
		software
	default-value	Default character-bits values
  dnsix-dmdp1	Provide DMDP service for DNSIX
  dnsix-nat1	Provide DNSIX service for audit trails
  enable1	Modify enable password parameters
  end	Exit from configure mode
  exit	Exit from configure mode
  help	Description of the interactive help system
  hostname1	Set system's network name
  interface	Select an interface to configure
	ip1 	Global IP configuration subcommands
	lane	Configure LAN Emulation
  line	Configure a terminal line
  logging	Modify message logging facilities
  map-class1	Configure static map class
  map-list1	Configure static map list
  no	Negate a command or set its defaults
  priority-list1	Build a priority list
  privilege	Command privilege parameters
  queue-list1	Build a custom queue list
  scheduler	Scheduler parameters
  service	Modify use of network based services
  snmp-server	Modify SNMP parameters
  tacacs-server1	Modify TACACS query parameters
  tftp-server1	Provide TFTP service for netload requests
  username1	Establish User Name Authentication

1. Although this command appears, it is currently not supported in this software release.

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

Interface Configuration Mode

Interface configuration commands modify the operation of the ATM interface. Interface configuration commands always follow an interface global configuration command, which defines the interface type.

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 type-number1
Step 2 List the interface configuration commands. ?

1 Always specify interface 0 for the Catalyst 5000 ATM module.

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

ATM(config)#interface atm 0
ATM(config-if)#?
Interface configuration commands:
  arp1	Set arp type (arpa, probe, snap) or timeout
  asig	ATM Signalling Interface Subcommands
  atm	Modify ATM parameters
  backup1	Modify dial-backup parameters
  bandwidth1	Set bandwidth informational parameter
  custom-queue-list1	Assign a custom queue list to an interface
  delay1	Specify interface throughput delay
  description	Interface specific description
  exit	Exit from interface configuration mode
	fair-queue1	Enable Fair Queuing on an Interface
  help	Description of the interactive help system
  hold-queue1	Set hold queue depth
  ip1	Interface Internet Protocol config commands
  keepalive1	Enable keepalive
  lane	Modify LANE parameters
  load-interval1	Specify interval for load calculation for an interface
  loopback1	Configure internal loopback on an interface
  map-group1	Configure static map group
	mtu	Set the interface Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU)
  no	Negate a command or set its defaults
  priority-group1	Assign a priority group to an interface
  shutdown	Shutdown the selected interface
  snmp	Modify SNMP interface parameters
  sscop	SSCOP Interface Subcommands
  transmit-interface1	Assign a transmit interface to a receive-only interface
  tx-queue-limit1	Configure card level transmit queue limit
 
ATM(config-if)#
1. Although this command appears, it is currently not supported in this software release.

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, use the end command or press Ctrl-Z.

Line Configuration Mode

Line configuration commands modify the operation of a terminal line. Line configuration commands always follow a line command, which defines a line number. These commands are generally used to change terminal parameter settings either on a line-by-line basis or for a range of lines.

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

Task Command
Step 1 From global configuration mode, configure a virtual terminal line. line {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 ATM (config-line)# indicates line configuration mode.

ATM(config)#line 0 4
ATM(config-line)#?
Line configuration commands:
	access-class1		Filter connections based on an IP access list
	autocommand	Automatically execute an EXEC command
	ata-character-bits1		Size of characters being handled
	databits1		Set number of data bits per character
	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
	flowcontrol1	Set the flow control
	full-help	Provide help to unprivileged user
	help	Description of the interactive help system
	history	Enable and control the command history function
	ip1 	IP options
	length	Set number of lines on a screen
	location	Enter terminal location description
	logging	Modify message logging facilities
	login1	Enable password checking
	modem1	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
	padding1	Set padding for a specified output character
	parity1	Set terminal parity
	password	Set a password
	privilege1	Change privilege level for line
	refuse-message1	Define a refuse banner
	rotary1	Add line to a rotary group
	rxspeed1	Set the receive speed
	session-timeout	Set interval for closing connection when there is no
                          input traffic
	special-character bits1	Size of the escape (and other special) characters
	speed1	Set the transmit and receive speeds
	start-character1	Define the start character
	stop-character1	Define the stop character
	stopbits1	Set async line stop bits
	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
 
ATM(config-line)#
1. Although this command appears, it is currently not supported in this software release.

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, use the end command or press Ctrl-Z.

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
Configure a line or lines to receive help for the full set of user-level commands when a user presses ?. full-help
Configure a line to receive help for the full set of user-level commands for this EXEC session. 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 question 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 have already entered.

You can abbreviate commands and keywords by using 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:

ATM# 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. 

ATM# 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:

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

Check Command Syntax

The user interface provides error isolation in the form of an error 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 clear a virtual circuit. First, use context-sensitive help to check the syntax for the command. 

ATM#clear ?
  access-list  Clear access list statistical information
  arp-cache    Clear the entire ARP cache
  atm-vc       Clear ATM virtual circuits on an interface
  counters     Clear counters on one or all interfaces
  host         Delete host table entries
  interface    Clear the hardware logic on an interface
  ip           IP
  lane         lane
  line         Reset a terminal line

The help output shows that the atm-vc keyword is required. Next, check the syntax for specifying the type of virtual circuit:

ATM#clear atm-vc ?
ATM  ATM interface

Enter the type of virtual circuit:

ATM#clear atm-vc atm 0
% 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:

ATM#clear atm-vc atm 0 ?
  <1-4095>  Virtual Circuit Number (VCD)

Now you can complete the command entry:

ATM#clear atm-vc atm 0 4096
                          ^
% Invalid input detected at '^' marker.

The caret symbol (^) and help response indicate an error at 6. To list the correct syntax, enter the command up to the point where the error occurred and then enter a question mark (?):

ATM#clear atm-vc atm 0 ?
  <1-4095>  Virtual Circuit Number (VCD)

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

ATM#clear atm-vc atm 0 11

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. 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 Connection Guide.

The terminal no history size command resets the number of lines saved by history to the default of 10 lines.

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 turns off command history for the line.

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 last several 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 Connection 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 case sensitive. 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 "End a Session" 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, use the Tab key to allow the system to complete a partial entry. To do so, perform the following task:

Task Keystrokes
Complete a 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:

ATM# conf<Tab>
ATM# 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:

ATM# co?
configure  connect  copy

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 lane config-atm-address 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. 

ATM(config-subif)#lane config-atm-address 39.000000000000014155551211.080020
ATM(config-subif)#$-atm-address 39.000000000000014155551211.0800200c1001.00

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:

ATM(config-subif)#lane config-atm-address 39.000000000000014155551211.080020$

The system 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 from the cursor to the end of the command line. Press Ctrl-K.
Delete 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 Spacebar.
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
Capitalizes 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.

End a Session

After using the setup command or other configuration commands, exit the ATM module and quit the session.

To end a session, perform the following steps:

Task Command
Enter the quit EXEC command. quit

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