Cisco IOS CLI(Command-line Interface) abbreviation and shortcuts

[ashirkar]

Introduction:

This document is created for new beginner who wants to improve their CLI speed. Cisco IOS provides some abbreviation commands and shortcuts to speed user interaction, e.g.: user not need to type the entire command to have recognized by IOS, it only requires minimum amount of character that unambiguously define a commands.

Examples:

In privilege mode there are two commands start with "con"

R1#con?
configure  connect  connectedapps

So by typing "conf" command the system IOS will recognizes that you want to execute command related to "configure" so it will only take command starts with this character.

R1#conf?

configure


R1#conf ?

  confirm            Confirm replacement of running-config with a new config

                     file

  memory             Configure from NV memory

  network            Configure from a TFTP network host

  overwrite-network  Overwrite NV memory from TFTP network host

  replace            Replace the running-config with a new config file

  revert             Parameters for reverting the configuration

  terminal           Configure from the terminal

  <cr>

Now if you want to enter into configure terminal and you don’t want to type entire syntax like configure terminal you can just type "conf t" so IOS will recognizes that you want to execute the full "configure terminal" command.

R1#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.

R1(config)#

Below is some example of the abbreviation commonly used:

In privilege mode

sh ip int bri  .....show ip interface brief

sh proc cpu his ....show process cpu history

sh ip os bri     .....show ip ospf brief

In configuration mode

int fa0/0.... interface fastethernet0/0

Addition, In IOS there are special keys and combination will allow you faster to use CLI command. Below are the some of the shortcuts i always use.

a) Left Arrow: Moves cursor to left

b) Right Arrow: Moves cursor to right

c) Ctrl+A: This will move the cursor to start of the line

Example:

Let's see if i want to execute below command in config mode

R1(config)#p route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1

but by mistake instead of "ip route", i have wrote "p route"

so instead of using left arrow,i can use "Ctrl+A" and directly jump into start of the line and do changes as show below

R1(config)# p route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1

d) Ctrl+e=This will move the cursor to end of the line

R1(config)#ip route 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.255 10.1.1.1

e) Ctrl+Z=If you execute this in any line of config mode will allow you to exit to privilege mode

example

R1#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.

R1(config)#^Z

R1#conf t

*Sep 24 11:15:31.399: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console


R1#conf t

Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.

R1(config)#router os 100

R1(config-router)#^Z

R1#

f) Backspace=To erase the character to the left side of cursor.

g) Up arrow= It will display previous enter command in reverse chronological order.

h) Down arrow= It will display previous enter command in reverse chronological order.

i)Tab=This will complete the command to last similar characters like if you type "sh" and then press "tab" key ,it will give you full command "show"