Basic Commands

In a config file, you can write the debugging options, a vty's password, routing daemon configurations, a logfile name, and so forth. This information forms the initial command set for a routing beast as it is starting.

Config files are generally found in:

     /usr/local/etc/*.conf

Each of the daemons has its own config file. For example, zebra's default config file name is:

     /usr/local/etc/zebra.conf

The daemon name plus .conf is the default config file name. You can specify a config file using the -f or --config-file options when starting the daemon.

• Command: hostname HOSTNAME
  Set hostname of the router.
• Command: password PASSWORD
  Set password for vty interface. If there is no password, a vty won't accept connections.
• Command: enable password PASSWORD
  Set enable password.
• Command: log stdout
• Command: no log stdout
  Set loggin output to stdout.
• Command: log file FILENAME
  If you want to log into a file please specify `filename' as follows.
  • log file /usr/local/etc/bgpd.log
• Command: log syslog
• Command: no log syslog
  Set loggin output to syslog.
• Command: write terminal
  Displays the current configuration to the vty interface.
• Command: write file
  Write current configuration to configuration file.
• Command: configure terminal
  Change to configuration mode. This command is the first step to configuration.
• Command: terminal length <0-512>
  Set terminal display length to <0-512> If length is 0, no display control is performed.
• Command: who
• Command: list
  List commands.
• Command: service password-encryption
  Encrypt password.
• Command: service advanced-vty
  Enable advanced mode VTY.
• Command: service terminal-length <0-512>
  Set system wide line configuration. This configuration command applies to all VTY interfaces.
• Command: show version
  Show the current version of the Zebra and it's build host information.
• Command: line vty
  Enter vty configuration mode.
• Command: banner motd default
  Set default motd string.
• Command: no banner motd
  No motd banner string will be printed.
• Line Command: exec-timeout MINUTE
  
• Line Command: exec-timeout MINUTE SECOND
  Set VTY connection timeout value. When only one argument is specified it is ued for timeout value in seconds. Default timeout value is 10 minutes. When timeout value is zero, it means no timeout.
• Line Command: no exec-timeout
  Do not perform tiomeout at all. This ocmmand is as same as exec-timeout 0 0
• Line Command: access-class ACCESS-LIST
  Restrict vty connections with an access list.

Below is sample configuration of the zebra daemon.

     !
     ! Zebra configuration file
     !
     hostname Router
     password zebra
     enable password zebra
     !
     log stdout
     !
     !

     password zebra!password

If a comment character is not the first character of the word, it's a normal character. So above ! will not be regarded as a comment and the password is set to zebra!password.

These options are common to all Zebra Daemons.

• -d
  --daemon
  Runs in daemon mode.
• -f FILE
  --config_file=FILE
  Set configuration file name.
• -h
  --help
  Display this help and exit.
• -P PORT
  --vty_port=PORT
  Set the VTY port number.
• -v
  --version
  Print program version.

Virtual Terminal Interfaces

VTY - Virtual Terminal [aka TeletYpe] Interface is a command line interface (CLI) to change and/or view the current configuration.

VTY stands for Virtual TeletYpe interface. It means you can connect to the daemon via the telnet protocol. To enable a VTY interface, you have to setup a VTY password. If there is no VTY password, one cannot connect to the VTY interface at all.

     % telnet localhost 2601
     Trying 127.0.0.1...
     Connected to localhost.
     Escape character is '^]'.
     
     Hello, this is zebra (version 0.88)
     Copyright 1997-2000 Kunihiro Ishiguro
     
     
     User Access Verification
     
     Password: XXXXX
     Router> ?
       enable            Turn on privileged commands
       exit              Exit current mode and down to previous mode
       help              Description of the interactive help system
       list              Print command list
       show              Show running system information
       who               Display who is on a vty
     Router> enable
     Password: XXXXX
     Router# configure terminal
     Router(config)# interface eth0
     Router(config-if)# ip address 10.0.0.1/8
     Router(config-if)# ^Z
     Router#

   ? is very useful for looking up commands.

VTY Modes

There are three basic VTY modes:

Menu
VTY View Mode	Mode for read-only interaction
VTY Enable Mode	Mode for read-write interaction
VTY Other Modes	Special modes (tftp, etc)

Commands that you may use at the command-line are described in the following three subsubsections.

CLI Movement Commands	Commands for moving the cursor about
CLI Editing Commands	Commands for changing text
CLI Advanced Commands	Other commands, session management and so

These commands are used for moving the CLI cursor. The <C> character means press the Control Key.

• C-f
  <RIGHT>
  Move forward one character.
• C-b
  <LEFT>
  Move backward one character.
• M-f
  Move forward one word.
• M-b
  Move backward one word.
• C-a
  Move to the beginning of the line.
• C-e
  Move to the end of the line.

CLI Editing Commands

These commands are used for editing text on a line. The <C> character means press the Control Key.

• C-h
  <DEL>
  Delete the character before point.
• C-d
  Delete the character after point.
• M-d
  Forward kill word.
• C-w
  Backward kill word.
• C-k
  Kill to the end of the line.
• C-u
  Kill line from the beginning, erasing input.
• C-t
  Transpose character.

CLI Advanced Commands

There are several additional CLI commands for command line completions, insta-help, and VTY session management.

• C-c
  Interrupt current input and moves to the next line.
• C-z
  End current configuration session and move to top node.
• C-n
  <DOWN>
  Move down to next line in the history buffer.
• C-p
  <UP>
  Move up to previous line in the history buffer.
• <TAB>
  Use command line competion by typing <TAB>.
•  
  You can use command line help by typing help at the beginning of the line. Typing ? at any point in the line will show possible completions.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved by Kunihiro Ishiguro.