Cisco Systems 78-11741-02 Getting Help, Mode Access Method Prompt Exit Method, Command Purpose

Using Cisco IOS Software

Getting Help

Table 1 describes how to access and exit various common command modes of the Cisco IOS software. It also shows examples of the prompts displayed for each mode.

Table 1	Accessing and Exiting Command Modes
Command
Mode		Access Method	Prompt	Exit Method
User EXEC		Log in.	Router>	Use the logout command.
Privileged		From user EXEC mode,	Router#	To return to user EXEC mode, use the disable
EXEC		use the enable EXEC		command.
		command.
Global		From privileged EXEC	Router(config)#	To return to privileged EXEC mode from global
configuration		mode, use the configure		configuration mode, use the exit or end command,
		terminal privileged		or press Ctrl-Z.
		EXEC command.
Interface		From global	Router(config-if)#	To return to global configuration mode, use the exit
configuration		configuration mode,		command.
		specify an interface using		To return to privileged EXEC mode, use the end
		an interface command.
				command, or press Ctrl-Z.
ROM monitor		From privileged EXEC	>	To exit ROM monitor mode, use the continue
		mode, use the reload		command.
		EXEC command. Press
		the Break key during the
		first 60 seconds while the
		system is booting.

For more information on command modes, refer to the “Using the Command-Line Interface” chapter in the Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Configuration Guide.

Getting Help

Entering a question mark (?) at the CLI prompt displays a list of commands available for each command mode. You can also get a list of keywords and arguments associated with any command by using the context-sensitive help feature.

To get help specific to a command mode, a command, a keyword, or an argument, use one of the following commands:

Command	Purpose
help	Provides a brief description of the help system in any command mode.
abbreviated-command-entry?	Provides a list of commands that begin with a particular character string. (No space
	between command and question mark.)
abbreviated-command-entry<Tab>	Completes a partial command name.
?	Lists all commands available for a particular command mode.
command ?	Lists the keywords or arguments that you must enter next on the command line.
	(Space between command and question mark.)

Cisco IOS IP Configuration Guide

xl