Understanding the User Interface [Cisco IOS Software Releases 11.0]

Table Of Contents

Understanding the User Interface

User Interface Task List

Access Each Command Mode

User EXEC Mode

Privileged EXEC Mode

Global Configuration Mode

Interface Configuration Mode

Subinterface Configuration Mode

Line Configuration Mode

Router Configuration Mode

IPX Router Configuration Mode

Route-Map Configuration Mode

ROM Monitor Mode

Get Context-Sensitive Help

Check Command Syntax

Use the Command History Features

Set the Command History Buffer Size

Recall Commands

Disable the Command History Feature

Use the Editing Features

Enable Enhanced Editing Mode

Move Around on the Command Line

Complete a Partial Command Name

Paste In Buffer Entries

Edit Command Lines That Wrap

Delete Entries

Scroll Down a Line or a Screen

Redisplay the Current Command Line

Transpose Mistyped Characters

Control Capitalization

Designate a Keystroke as a Command Entry

Disable Enhanced Editing Mode

Create Menus

Specify the Menu Title

Specify the Menu Item Text

Specify the Underlying Command for the Menu Item

Create a Submenu

Create Hidden Menu Entries

Specify Menu Display Configuration Options

Using Line Mode in Menus

Displaying Single-Spaced Menus

Displaying an Informational Status Line

Invoke the Menu

Delete the Menu from the Configuration

Understanding the User Interface

The Cisco International Operating System software user interface has several different command modes (see Figure 2-1). Each command mode has a group of related commands. This chapter describes how to access and list the commands available in each command mode.

In addition to actions that can be carried out through commands, the user interface also allows an administrator of an access server to create menus so that users can use access server features without needing to know anything about the underlying access server user interface. This chapter also describes how to create and use menus.

For a complete description of the commands mentioned in this chapter, refer to the "User Interface Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication. For information about configuring terminal lines refer to the "Configuring Terminal Lines and Modem Support" chapter later in this publication. For information about setting terminal and line parameters for a session, refer to the "Changing Terminal Parameters" chapter of the Cisco Access Connection Guide.

The command interpreter is called the EXEC. The EXEC interprets the commands you type and carries out the corresponding operations. You must log in to the access server before you can enter an EXEC command. For security purposes, the EXEC has two levels of access to commands: user and privileged. The EXEC commands available at the user level are a subset of the EXEC commands available at the privileged level. From the privileged level, you can also access global configuration mode and six specific configuration modes: interface, subinterface, line, router, ipx-router, and route-map configuration.

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 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 Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication provides the complete syntax for every command and describes what the no form of a command does.

If your access server 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. A brief description of the ROM monitor mode is included in this chapter.

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 edit command entries.

Entering a question mark (?) at the system prompt allows you to obtain a list of commands available for each command mode.

Note One or more commands in this chapter have changed from previous releases. Commands in this chapter that have been replaced by new commands continue to perform their normal functions in the current release but are no longer documented. Support for these commands will cease in a future release. See the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication for detailed command information.

User Interface Task List

You can perform the tasks in the following sections to become familiar with the access server's user interface and to create user menus:

•Access Each Command Mode

•Get Context-Sensitive Help

•Check Command Syntax

•Use the Command History Features

•Use the Editing Features

•Create Menus

Access Each Command Mode

This section describes how to access each of the access server's command modes:

•User EXEC Mode

•Privileged EXEC Mode

•Global Configuration Mode

•Interface Configuration Mode

•Subinterface Configuration Mode

•Line Configuration Mode

•Router Configuration Mode

•IPX Router Configuration Mode

•Route-Map Configuration Mode

•ROM Monitor Mode

shows how you move from the login prompt through to specific configuration modes. To access the level you want, enter the command (or a form of the command) shown below the level. For example, to enter Global Configuration mode, enter configure <command>. To quit this mode and go back to Privileged EXEC (denoted by the backward arrow over Global Config), enter exit or ^z. To move forward (denoted by the forward arrow over Global Config) to interface configuration, enter interface <command>. To move backward to Global Config, enter exit or ^z.

Figure 2-1 Command Modes

lists the command modes, how to access each mode, the prompt you will see while you are in mode, and the method to exit a mode. The prompts listed assume the default access server name, router.

Table 2-1 Summary of Command Modes

Command Mode

Access Method

Prompt

Exit Method

User EXEC

Log in to access server.

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 global 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.

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.

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 map-class command.

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

Router configuration

From global configuration mode, enter by issuing a command that begins with router (such as router igrp).

Router(config-router)#

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 issuing the ipx routing command, then a command that begins with ipx router (such as ipx router eigrp).

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 access server, 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 establish connections, 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 access server's host name followed by an angle bracket (>):
Router>
The default host name is Router for access servers, and cs for communication servers, unless the prompt has been changed during initial configuration using the setup command. (Refer to the Access and Communication Servers Getting Started Guide for information on the setup facility.) You can also change the access server name using the hostname global configuration command described in the "Managing the System" chapter, later in this publication, and in the "System Management Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers 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:
 <1-99>           Session number to resume
 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
 lat              Open a lat connection
 lock             Lock the terminal
 login            Log in as a particular user
 logout           Exit from the EXEC
 menu             Start a menu-based user interface
 mbranch          Trace multicast route for branch of tree
 mrbranch         Trace reverse multicast route to branch of tree
 mtrace           Trace multicast route to group
 name-connection  Name an existing telnet connection
 pad              Open a X.29 PAD 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
 tn3270           Open a tn3270 connection
 trace            Trace route to destination
 where            List active telnet connections
 x3               Set X.3 parameters on PAD
 xremote          Enter XRemote mode
The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your access server 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 Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication.

The privileged-level prompt consists of the access server's host name followed by the pound sign (#). (If the access server 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 lists privileged EXEC commands:
Router> enable
Password:
Router# ? 
Exec commands:
 <1-99>           Session number to resume
 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
 lat              Open a lat connection
 llc2             Execute llc2 tests
 lock             Lock the terminal
 login            Log in as a particular user
 logout           Exit from the EXEC
 menu             Start a menu-based user interface
 name-connection  Name an existing telnet connection
 pad              Open a X.29 PAD 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
 tn3270           Open a tn3270 connection
 trace            Trace route to destination
 undebug          Disable debugging functions (see also 'debug')
 where            List active telnet connections
 which-route      Do route table lookup and display results
 x3               Set X.3 parameters on PAD
 xremote          Enter XRemote mode
The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your access server has been configured.

From the privileged level, you can access global configuration mode. For instructions, see "Global Configuration Mode," 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 and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers 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 {terminal | memory | network}¹
<CR>

Step 2 List the global configuration commands.

?

¹This command is documented in the "System Image and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication.

The following example shows how to access global configuration mode and lists 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
 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
 buffers                Adjust system buffer pool parameters
 busy-message           Display message when connection to host fails
 chat-script            Define a modem chat script
 clock                  Configure time-of-day clock
 default-value          Default character-bits values
 dialer-list            Create a dialer list entry
 dnsix-dmdp             Provide DMDP service for DNSIX
 dnsix-nat              Provide DNSIX service for audit trails
 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
 keymap                 Define a new keymap
 lat                    DEC Local Area Transport (LAT) transmission protocol
 line                   Configure a terminal line
 logging                Modify message logging facilities
 login-string           Define a host-specific login string
 menu                   Define a user-interface menu
 mop                    The DEC MOP Server
 no                     Negate a command or set its defaults
 ntp                    Configure NTP
 priority-list          Build a priority list
 queue-list             Build a custom queue list
 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
 state-machine          Define a TCP dispatch state machine
 tacacs-server          Modify TACACS query parameters
 tftp-server            Provide TFTP service for netload requests
 timezone               Configure time zone
 tn3270                 tn3270 configuration command
 translate              Translate global configuration commands
 ttycap                 Define a new termcap
 username               Establish User Name Authentication
 x25                    X.25 Level 3
 x29                    X29 commands
 xns                    XNS global configuration commands
 xremote                Configure XRemote
The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your access server 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 seven configuration sublevels: interface, subinterface, line, router, ipx-router, route-map, and ROM monitor 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 or serial port. Interface configuration commands always follow an interface 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.

?

¹This command is documented in the "Interface Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers 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
Router(config-if)# ? 
Interface configuration commands:
 arp                   Set arp type (arpa, probe, snap) or timeout
 async                 Async interface parameters
 backup                Modify dial-backup parameters
 bandwidth             Set bandwidth informational parameter
 clockrate             Configure serial interface clock speed
 custom-queue-list     Assign a custom queue list to an interface
 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
 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
 keepalive             Enable keepalive
 lapb                  X.25 Level 2 parameters (Link Access Procedure, Balanced)
 lat                   LAT commands
 llc2                  LLC2 Interface Subcommands
 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)
 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
 sdlc                  SDLC commands
 sdllc                 Configure SDLC to LLC2 translation
 shutdown              Shutdown the selected interface
 smds                  Modify SMDS parameters
 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
 xns                   XNS interface subcommands
The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your access server 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.

Subinterfaces also allow multiple encapsulations for a protocol on a single interface. For example, an access server 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:
 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
 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 access server 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.

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 establish connections and change terminal parameter settings on a line-by-line basis to support dial-on-demand routing (DDR) (see the "Dial-on-Demand Routing Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication).

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

Task

Command

Step 1 From global configuration mode, configure an auxiliary, console, virtual terminal or tty line.

line [aux | console | tty | vty] line-number [ending-line-number]¹

Step 2 List the line configuration commands.

?

¹This command is documented in the "Terminal Lines and Modem Support Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication.

The following example shows how to enter line configuration mode for asynchronous line 7 and list the line configuration commands:
Router(config)# line tty 7
Router(config-line)# ? 
Line configuration commands:
 absolute-timeout        Set absolute timeout for line disconnection
 access-class            Filter connections based on an IP access list
 activation-character    Define the activation character
 arap                    AppleTalk Remote Access Protocol
 autobaud                Set line to autobaud
 autocommand             Automatically execute an EXEC command
 autohangup              Automatically hangup when last connection closes
 autoselect              Set line to autoselect
 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-machine        Reference a TCP dispatch state machine
 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
 full-help               Provide help to unprivileged user
 help                    Description of the interactive help system
 history                 Set the size of the command history buffer
 hold-character          Define the hold character
 insecure                Mark line as `insecure' for LAT
 keymap-type             Specify a keymap entry to use
 lat                     DEC Local Area Transport (LAT) protocol-specific
                         configuration
 length                  Set number of lines on a screen
 location                Enter terminal location description
 lockable                Allow users to lock a line
 logging                 Modify message logging facilities
 login                   Enable password checking
 logout-warning          Set warning countdown for absolute timeout of line
 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
 script                  Specify event-related chat scripts to run on the line
 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 access server 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.

?

¹This command is documented in the "IP Routing Protocols Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers 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)
 eigrp     Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
 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 access server is configured to support the Routing Information Protocol (RIP). The new prompt is router(config-router)#. Enter a question mark (?) to list router configuration commands.
Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-router)# ?
Router configuration commands:
  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 or RIP metrics
  passive-interface       Suppress routing updates on an interface
  redistribute            Redistribute information from another routing protocol
  timers                  Adjust routing timers
  validate-update-source  Perform sanity checks against source address of
                          routing updates
The list of commands might vary slightly from this example, depending upon how your access server 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

Step 2 List the ipx-router configuration commands.

?

¹This command is documented in the "Novell IPX Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers 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
Router(config-ipx-router)# ? 
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 map-tag [[permit | deny] | [sequence-number]]¹

Step 2 List the route-map configuration commands.

?

¹This command is documented in the "IP Routing Protocols Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers 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
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 access server 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.

On the Cisco 2500 Series access server, 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 before reloading, use the copy running-config startup-config command before issuing the reload command.

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

Task

Command

Step 1 Enter ROM monitor mode from privileged EXEC mode.

reload¹
Press Break during the first 60 seconds while the system is booting.

Step 2 List the ROM monitor commands.

?

¹This command is documented in the "System Image and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter of the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication.

The ROM monitor prompt is an angle bracket (>). The following example shows how to list the ROM monitor commands.
> ?
$ 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 and Configuration File Load Commands" chapter in the Access and Communication Servers Command Reference publication). For details on other ROM monitor 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 mode.

terminal full-help

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 ?

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, enter 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 question mark (?). 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 the section "Complete a Partial Command Name" later in this chapter for more details.

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 (?). 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
  <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 keyword 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 172.16.134.0 ?
  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 172.16.134.0 0.0.0.255 ?
<cr>
Router(config)# access-list 99 deny 172.16.134.0 0.0.0.255 
When you enter a question mark and there are no further options, only the <cr> symbol appears, indicating that 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 ^ character 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

•Recall Commands

•Disable the Command History Feature

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

The terminal history no size command resets the buffer size to the default of 10 command 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 and specify the number of lines.

history size number-of-lines

The no history size command resets the buffer size to the default of 10 command lines.

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

¹The 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 terminal session.

terminal no history

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

•Move Around on the Command Line

•Complete a Partial Command Name

•Paste In Buffer Entries

•Edit Command Lines That Wrap

•Delete Entries

•Scroll Down a Line or a Screen

•Redisplay the Current Command Line

•Transpose Mistyped Characters

•Control Capitalization

•Designate a Keystroke as a Command Entry

•Disable Enhanced Editing Mode

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 editing

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.

Task

Keystrokes

Move the cursor back one word.

Press Esc-B.

Move the cursor forward one word.

Press Esc-F.

¹The 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, enter 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 tasks:

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 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

¹The 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 172.16.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1
Router(config)# $ 101 permit tcp 172.16.2.5 255.255.255.0 172.255.1.20 255.25
Router(config)# $t tcp 172.16.2.5 255.255.255.0 172.132.1.20 255.255.255.0 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 172.16.2.5 255.255.255.0 131.108.1$
The access server assumes you have a terminal screen that is 80 columns wide. If you have a different width, use the terminal width command to tell the router the correct width of your terminal.

Use line wrapping 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 either of 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 in the previous table 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 any of the following tasks:

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 editing

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.

Create Menus

A menu is a displayed list of actions from which a user can select without having to know anything about the underlying command-level details. A menu system is also a good way to control what functions a user can access. illustrates the parts that make up a typical menu:

Figure 2-2 Typical Menu Example

Anyone who can enter configuration mode can create these menus. Keep the following guidelines in mind when you create menus:

•Each menu item represents a single user command.

•The menu system assumes a standard "dumb" terminal that displays only text in a 24-line-by-80-column format.

•A menu can have a maximum of 18 menu items. Menus containing more than nine menu items are automatically configured as single-spaced menus; menus containing nine or fewer menu items are automatically configured as double-spaced menus, but can be configured as single-spaced menus using the single-space option of the menu command (for more information about menu display configuration options, refer to the section "Specify Menu Display Configuration Options" later in this chapter).

•Each menu should be constructed with some thought to how a user exits a menu and where the user goes. If you do not provide an exit from a menu—such as with the menu-exit command (described in "Specify the Underlying Command for the Menu Item," later in this section), there is no way to break out of the menu. The exec-timeout command can be used to close and clean up an idle menu; the session-timeout command can be used to clean up a menu with an open connection.

To create menus, perform the tasks in the following sections:

•Specify the Menu Title

•Specify the Menu Item Text

•Specify the Underlying Command for the Menu Item

•Create a Submenu

•Create Hidden Menu Entries

•Specify Menu Display Configuration Options

•Invoke the Menu

•Delete the Menu from the Configuration

Specify the Menu Title

You can specify an identifying title for the menu. To specify the menu title, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify the title for the menu.

menu name title delimiter title delimiter

The following example specifies the title that will be displayed when the OnRamp menu is invoked. Four main elements create the title:

•The menu title command

•Delimiter characters that open and close the title text

•Escape characters to clear the screen (optional)

•Title text

The following example shows the command used to create the title for the example of a typical menu shown at the beginning of this section:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp title /^[[H^[[J
               Welcome to OnRamp Internet Services
       
        Type a number to select an option;
              Type 9 to exit the menu.
/
You can position the title of the menu horizontally by preceding the title text with blank characters. You can also add lines of space above and below the title by pressing Return.

In this example, the title text consists of a one-line title, a space, and a two-line menu instruction banner. Title text must be enclosed within text delimiter characters—in this example, the slash character (/). Title text delimiters are characters that do not ordinarily appear within the text of a title, such as slash (/), double quote ("), or tilde (~). You can use any character that is not likely to be used within the text of the title. Ctrl-C is reserved for special use and should not be used in the text of the title.

This title text example also includes an escape character sequence to clear the screen before displaying the menu. In this case, the string ^[[H^[[J is an escape string used by many VT100-compatible terminals to clear the screen. To enter it, you must type Ctrl-V before each escape character.

Instead of embedding a terminal-specific string in the menu title to clear the screen before displaying menus and submenus, use the clear-screen option of the menu command. This option uses a terminal-independent mechanism based upon termcap entries defined in the access server and the terminal type configured for the user's terminal. This approach allows the same menu to be used on multiple types of terminals instead of having terminal-specific strings embedded within menu titles. If the termcap entry does not contain a clear string, the menu system inserts 24 newlines, causing all existing text to scroll off the top of the terminal screen.

To add the clear-screen option to a menu, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify screen clearing before displaying menus and submenus.

menu name clear-screen

The following example specifies the clear-screen option for the OnRamp menu:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp clear-screen
The terminal screen will be cleared before each menu or submenu is displayed.

Specify the Menu Item Text

The menu item text the user sees displayed on the screen. Each displayed menu entry consists of the selection number for that line and the text describing the action to be performed. You can specify descriptive text for a maximum of 18 menu items. Because each menu entry represents a single user interface command, you must specify the menu item text one entry at a time. To specify the menu item text, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify the text for the menu item.

menu name text number text

The following example specifies the text that will be displayed for the three entries in the OnRamp menu:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp text 1 Read email
Router(config)# menu OnRamp text 2 UNIX Internet Access
Router(config)# menu OnRamp text 9 Exit menu system
You can provide access to context-sensitive help by creating a "help server" host and use a menu entry to make a connection to that host.

Menu selection numbers need not be contiguous. You can provide consistency across menus by assigning a particular number to a special function—such as Help or Exit—regardless of the number of menu entries in a given menu. For example, menu entry 1 could be reserved for help across all menus, while the last menu entry (for example, 9) could be reserved as the exit.

When more than nine menu items are defined in a menu, the line-mode and single-space options to the menu command are invoked automatically, but may also be configured explicitly for menus of nine or fewer items. For more information on these commands, refer to "Specify Menu Display Configuration Options" later in this chapter.

Specify the Underlying Command for the Menu Item

Each displayed menu entry is backed up by a user interface command that is executed when the user enters the number for one of the menu entries. Each menu entry can have only a single command associated with it. To specify the menu item command, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify the command to be performed when the menu item is selected.

menu name command number command

The following example specifies the commands that are associated with the three entries in the OnRamp menu:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp command 1 rlogin mailsys
Router(config)# menu OnRamp command 2 rlogin unix.cisco.com
Router(config)# menu OnRamp command 9 menu-exit
The menu-exit command is a special command that is available only from within menus. It provides a way to return to a higher-level menu or to exit the menu system.

When a menu allows connections (their normal use), the menu should contain entries that can be used to resume connections; otherwise, when a user escapes from a connection and returns to the menu, there will be no way to resume the session and it will sit idle until the user logs off.

You can build the resume connection EXEC command into a menu entry so the user can resume a connection, or you can configure the line using the command escape-char none to prevent users from escaping their sessions.

To specify connection resumption as part of the menu item command, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify the command to be performed when the menu item is selected.

menu name command number resume [connection]
/connect [connect string]

Embedding the resume command within the menu command as the action to be performed when the menu entry is selected permits a user to resume the named connection or—if there is no active connection by that name—connect to it using the specified name. As an option, you can also supply the connect string needed to connect initially. When you do not supply this connect string, the command uses the specified connection name.

You can use the resume command in a menu in the following ways:

•Embedded in a menu entry

•As a separate, specific menu entry

•As a "rotary" menu entry

In the following example, the resume command is embedded in the menu command so that selecting that entry either starts the specified connection session (if one is not already open) or resumes the session (if one is already open):
Router(config)# menu Duluth text 1 Read email
Router(config)# menu Duluth command 1 resume mailsys /connect rlogin mailsys
In the following example, the resume command is used in a separate menu entry—entry 3—used to resume a specific connection:
Router(config)# menu Duluth text 3 Resume UNIX Internet Access
Router(config)# menu Duluth command 3 resume unix.cisco.com
You can also use the resume /next command, which resumes the next open connection in the user's list of connections. This allows you to create a single menu entry that steps through all of the user's connections. To specify resume /next connection resumption as part of the menu item command, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify resume /next connection resumption.

menu name command number resume /next

The following example shows a menu entry—entry 6—created to step through all of the user's connections:
Router(config)# menu Duluth text 6 Resume next connection
Router(config)# menu Duluth command 6 resume /next
Create a Submenu

You can create submenus that are opened by selecting a higher-level menu entry. You do this by using the command to invoke a menu as the command in a line specifying a higher-level menu entry. To specify a submenu item command, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Step 1 Specify the menu item that invokes the submenu.

menu name text number [text]

Step 2 Specify the command to be performed when the menu item is selected.

menu name command number command

Step 3 Specify the title for the submenu.

menu name title delimiter title delimiter

Step 4 Specify the submenu item.

menu name text number [text]

Step 5 Specify the commands to be performed when the submenu item is selected.

menu name command number [command]

The following example specifies the menu item—entry 8—that invokes the submenu in the OnRamp menu:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp text 8 Set terminal type
The following example specifies the command to be performed when the menu item is selected in the OnRamp menu:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp command 8 menu Terminals
The following example specifies the title for the Terminals submenu:
Router(config)# menu Terminals title /
                     Supported Terminal Types
       
        Type a number to select an option;
       Type 9 to return to the previous menu.
/
The following example specifies the submenu items for the Terminals submenu:
Router(config)# menu Terminals text 1 DEC VT420 or similar
Router(config)# menu Terminals text 2 Heath H-19
Router(config)# menu Terminals text 3 IBM 3051 or equivalent
Router(config)# menu Terminals text 4 Macintosh with gterm emulator
Router(config)# menu Terminals text 9 Return to previous menu
The following example specifies the commands to be performed for the items in the Terminals submenu:
Router(config)# menu Terminals command 1 term terminal-type vt420
Router(config)# menu Terminals command 2 term terminal-type h19
Router(config)# menu Terminals command 3 term terminal-type ibm3051
Router(config)# menu Terminals command 4 term terminal-type gterm
Router(config)# menu Terminals command 9 menu-exit
When you select entry 8 on the main menu, the Terminals submenu appears:
      Supported Terminal Types
  Type a number to select an option;
Type 9 to return to the previous menu.
1     DEC VT420 or similar
2     Heath H-19
3     IBM 3051 or equivalent
4     Macintosh with gterm emulator
9     Return to previous menu
Note If you nest too many levels of menus, the system prints an error message on the terminal and returns to the previous menu level.

Create Hidden Menu Entries

A hidden menu entry is a menu item containing a selection number but no associated text describing the action to be performed. Include this type of menu entry in menus to aid system administrators when helping users. The normal procedure is to specify a menu command, but omit specifying any text for the item. To specify a hidden menu item, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify the command to be performed when the hidden menu entry is selected.

menu name command number command

The following example shows the command associated with the submenu entry in the OnRamp menu:
Router(config)# menu OnRamp command 7 show whoami
The show whoami command displays information about the current user's terminal line, including hostname, line number, line speed, and location. This command can be included in menus to aid system administrators when helping users. To display line information, perform the following task at the EXEC prompt:

Task

Command

Display line information.

show whoami text

If text is included as an argument in the command, that text is displayed as part of the additional data about the line. This is useful in identifying exactly which menu or submenu the user is using. Because the show whoami command is hidden inside the menu entry, this information might not be otherwise available. For example, the hidden menu entry
show whoami Terminals submenu of OnRamp Internet Access menu
might display information similar to the following:
show whoami Terminals submenu of OnRamp Internet Access menu
Comm Server "cs101", Line 0 at 0 bps. Location "Second floor, West"
Additional data: Terminals submenu of OnRamp Internet Access menu
This command always displays a ---More--- prompt before returning, to prevent the information from being lost if the menu display clears the screen.

Specify Menu Display Configuration Options

In addition to the clear-screen option to the menu command, described in the section "Specify the Menu Title," there are three other menu command options that define menu behavior:

•line-mode

•single-space

•status-line

Using Line Mode in Menus

In a menu of nine or fewer items, you ordinarily select a menu item by just typing the item number. In line mode, you select a menu entry by typing the item number and pressing Return. Line mode allows you to backspace over the selected number and type another before pressing Return to perform the command. This provides you the opportunity to change the selection number before performing the command.

To invoke the line-mode option, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify line-mode operation.

menu name line-mode

This option is invoked automatically when more than nine menu items are defined, but may also be configured explicitly for menus of nine or fewer items.

Displaying Single-Spaced Menus

In a menu of nine or fewer items, menu items are ordinarily displayed single-spaced rather than double-spaced. In a menu of more than nine items, the single-space option is invoked automatically to fit the menu into a normal 24-line terminal screen.

To invoke the single-space option, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Specify single-space operation.

menu name single-space

This option may also be configured explicitly for menus of nine or fewer items.

Displaying an Informational Status Line

The status-line option displays a line of status information about the current user at the top of the terminal screen before the menu title is displayed. This status line includes the access server host name, the user's line number, and the current terminal type and keymap type (if any).

To invoke the status-line option, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Display a status line when using a menu.

menu name status-line

Invoke the Menu

To invoke the menu, perform the following task at the EXEC prompt:

Task

Command

Invoke the menu by specifying the name of the menu.

menu name

You can define menus containing privileged EXEC commands, but they will not be usable unless the user has privileged access when they start up the menu.

To ensure that a menu is automatically invoked on a line, define a menu that has no exit paths that will leave the user in an interface they cannot operate, then configure that line with the command autocommand menu menu_name.

Menus can also be invoked on a per-user basis by defining an autocommand for that local username.

The following example invokes the OnRamp menu:
Router> menu OnRamp
      Welcome to OnRamp Internet Services
       Type a number to select an option;
            Type 9 to exit the menu.
1     Read email
2     UNIX Internet access
3     Resume UNIX connection
6     Resume next connection
9     Exit menu system
Delete the Menu from the Configuration

To delete the menu from the configuration, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task

Command

Delete the menu by specifying the menu name.

no menu name

The following example deletes the OnRamp menu from the configuration:
Router(config)# no menu OnRamp