6-3
Using the Command Line Interface
ENTERING COMMANDS
This section describes how to enter CLI com mands.
Keywords and Arguments
A CLI command is a series of keywords and arguments. Keywords identify a
command, and arguments specify configuration parameters. For example, in the
command “show interfaces ethernet,” show and interfaces are keywords, and
ethernet is an argument that specifies the interface typ e.
You can enter commands as follows:
• To enter a simple command, enter t he command keyword.
• To enter com mands that require parameters, enter the required parameters after
the command keyword. For example, to set a password for the administrator,
enter:
Outdoor 11a Building to Building (config)#username smith
Minimum Abbreviation
The CLI will accept a minimum number of characters that uniquely identify a
command. For example, the command “configure” can be entered as con. If an
entry is ambiguous, the system will prompt for further input.
Command Completion
If you terminate input with a Tab key, the CLI will print the remaining characters
of a partial keyword up to the point of ambiguity. In the “configure” example,
typing con followed by a tab will result in printi ng the command up to
“configure.”
Getting Help on Commands
You can display a brief description of the help system by entering the help
command. You can also display command syntax by following a command with
the “?” character to list keywords or parameters.