Chapter 2

Cheat Sheet for the CLI Commands

This chapter provides quick reference information for the JUNOS software
command-line interface (CLI). For more detailed information about using the CLI,
see Command-Line Interface Overview on page 321.

CLI Operational Mode Top-Level Commands on page 18

CLI Configuration Mode Top-Level Commands on page 20

Load a Configuration Using Copy and Paste Commands on page 22

CLI Keyboard Shortcuts on page 26

Manage Output at the ---(more)--- Prompt on page 27

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CLI Operational Mode Top-Level Commands

In operational mode, you enter commands to monitor and diagnose the software,
network connectivity, and the router. When you log in to the router and the CLI
starts, you are at the top level of the CLI operational mode. At this level, there are
several broad groups of CLI commands. Table 10 lists the top-level CLI operational
mode commands and describes the options available for each command. The
commands are listed in alphabetical order.
Table 10: CLI Operational Mode Top-Level Commands
Command

Description

clear

Clear statistics and protocol database information.

Syntax: clear (arp | bgp | firewall | helper | igmp | ike | ilmi | interfaces | ipsec | ipv6 | isis | ldp | log | mpls |
msdp | multicast | ospf | pim | rip | ripng | route | rsvp | snmp | system | vrrp)

configure

Enter CLI configuration mode.

Alternative commands: configure <exclusive> <private>

file

Perform file manipulation operations, such as copy, delete, list, rename, and show.
Syntax: file (compare | copy | delete | list | rename | show)

help

Provide help information.

Syntax: help (reference | syslog | topic)

monitor

Monitor a log file or interface traffic in real time.

Syntax: monitor (interface | list | start | stop | traffic)

mtrace

Display trace information about a multicast path from a source to a receiver.

Syntax: mtrace (from-source | monitor | to-gateway)

ping

Verify IP connectivity to another IP host or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) connectivity (ping ATM)
using Operation Administration and Maintenance (OAM) cells to an ATM endstation.
Syntax: ping host <interface source-interface> <bypass-routing> <count requests> <do-not-fragment> <interval
seconds> <pattern string> <record-route> <routing-instance routing-instance-name> <size bytes> <strict> <tos
type-of-service> <ttl value> <via route> <rapid | detail>

Syntax: ping atm interface interface <count count> <end-to-end | segment> <interval interval>
<sequence-number sequence-number> <vci vci> <brief>

Syntax: ping vpn-interface vpn-interface host <local echo-address>

pipe

Filter the output of an operational mode or configuration mode command.

Syntax: | (compare | count | display <detail | inheritance | xml> | except pattern | find pattern | last lines |
match pattern | no-more | resolve <file-names> | save filename | trim columns)

quit

Log out from the CLI process.

Syntax: quit

request

Make system-level requests, such as halt or reboot the router, load software packages, and back up the
routers file systems.
Syntax: request system (halt | reboot | snapshot | software)

restart

Restart the router hardware or software processes.

Syntax: restart (fpc | class-of-service | gracefully | immediately | interface-control | mib-process |
network-access-service | remote-operations | routing | sampling | sfm | snmp | soft)

set

Set CLI properties, the routers date and time, and the craft interface display text.
Syntax: set (chassis | cli | date)

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Chapter 2: Cheat Sheet for the CLI Commands

Command

Description

show

Show information about all aspects of the software, including interfaces and routing protocols.
Syntax: show (accounting | aps | arp | as-path | bgp | chassis | cli | configuration | connections | dvmrp | firewall
| helper | host | igmp | ike | ilmi | interfaces | ipsec | ipv6 | isis | l2circuit | l2vpn | ldp | link-management | log |
mpls | msdp | multicast | ntp | ospf | pfe | pim | policer | policy | rip | ripng | route | rsvp | sap | snmp | system |
task | ted | version | vrrp)

ssh

Open a secure shell to another host.

Syntax: ssh host <bypass-routing> <routing-instance routing-instance-name> <source address> <vpn-interface
vpn-interface> <v1 | v2>

start

Start a software process.

Syntax: start shell

telnet

Start a telnet session to another host.

Syntax: telnet host <8bit> <bypass-routing> <inet | inet6> <noresolve> <port port> <interface interface-name>
<routing-instance routing-instance-name> <source address> <vpn-interface vpn-interface>

test

Run various diagnostic debugging commands.

Syntax: test (configuration | interface | msdp | policy)

traceroute

Trace the route to a remote host.

Syntax: traceroute host <as-number-lookup> <bypass-routing> <gateway address> <inet | inet6> <noresolve>
<routing-instance routing-instance-name> <source address> <tos value> <ttl value> <vpn-interface
vpn-interface> <wait seconds>

CLI Operational Mode Top-Level Commands

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CLI Configuration Mode Top-Level Commands

In configuration mode, you configure the JUNOS software by creating a hierarchy of
configuration statements. You can do this using the CLI or by creating a text (ASCII)
file that contains the statement hierarchy. (The statement hierarchy is identical in
both the CLI and the text configuration file.) You can configure all properties of the
JUNOS software, including interfaces, general routing information, routing
protocols, and user access, as well as several system hardware properties. When
you have finished entering the configuration statements, you commit them, which
activates the configuration on the router.
Table 11 lists each CLI configuration mode command and describes the options
available for each command. The commands are organized alphabetically.
Table 11: CLI Configuration Mode Commands
Command

Description

activate

Remove the inactive: tag from a statement, effectively reading the statement or identifier to the
configuration. Statements or identifiers that have been activated take effect when you next issue the commit
command.
Syntax: activate (statement-path | identifier)

annotate

Add comments to a configuration.

Syntax: annotate <statement-path> comment-string

commit

Commit the set of changes to the database and cause the changes to take operational effect.
Syntax: commit <and-quit> <check> <confirmed <minutes>> <synchronize>

copy

Make a copy of an existing statement in the configuration.

Syntax: copy <statement-path> identifier 1 to identifier 2

deactivate

Add the inactive: tag to a statement, effectively commenting out the statement or identifier from the
configuration. Statements or identifiers marked as inactive do not take effect when you issue the commit
command.
Syntax: deactivate (statement-path | identifier)

delete

Delete a statement or identifier. All subordinate statements and identifiers contained within the specified
statement path are deleted with it.
Syntax: delete (statement-path | identifier)

edit

Move inside the specified statement hierarchy. If the statement does not exist, it is created.
Syntax: edit <statement-path>

exit

Exit the current level of the statement hierarchy, returning to the level prior to the last edit command, or exit
from configuration mode. The quit and exit commands are synonyms.
Syntax: exit <configuration-mode>

help

Display help about available configuration statements.

Syntax: help (apropos | reference | syslog | topic ) <string >

insert

Insert an identifier into an existing hierarchy.

Syntax: insert <statement-path> identifier1 (before | after) identifier2

load

Load a configuration from an ASCII configuration file or from terminal input. Your current location in the
configuration hierarchy is ignored when the load operation occurs.
Syntax: load (merge | override | replace ) (filename | terminal)

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Chapter 2: Cheat Sheet for the CLI Commands

Command

Description

quit

Exit the current level of the statement hierarchy, returning to the level prior to the last edit command, or exit
from configuration mode. The quit and exit commands are synonyms.
Syntax: quit <configuration-mode>

rename

Rename an existing configuration statement or identifier.

Syntax: rename <statement-path> identifier1 to identifier2

rollback

Return to a previously committed configuration. The software saves the last 10 committed configurations,
including the rollback number, date, time, and name of the user who issued the commit configuration
command. rollback 0 erases any configuration changes made to the current candidate configuration.
The currently operational JUNOS software configuration is stored in the file juniper.conf, and the last three
committed configurations are stored in the files juniper.conf.1.gz, juniper.conf.2.gz, and juniper.conf.3.gz.
These four files are located in the directory /config/, which is on the routers flash drive. The remaining six
previous committed configurations, the files juniper.conf.4.gz through juniper.conf.9.gz, are stored in the
directory /var/db/config/, which is on the routers hard disk.
Syntax: rollback <number>

run

Run an operational mode CLI command without exiting from configuration mode.
Syntax: run <operation-command>

save

Save the configuration to an ASCII file in the users home directory (by default) or to the users terminal
session. The statement hierarchy and the contents of the current level of the statement hierarchy (and
below) are saved. This allows a section of the configuration to be saved, while fully specifying the statement
hierarchy.
Syntax: save filename | terminal

set

Create a statement hierarchy and set identifier values. This is similar to the edit command except that your
current level in the hierarchy does not change, and you can set identifier values, while the edit command
only allows access to a statement path.
Syntax: set (statement-path | identifier )

show

Display the current configuration.

Syntax: show (statement-path | identifier)

status

Display the users currently editing the configuration.

Syntax: status

top

Return to the top level of configuration command mode, indicated by the [edit] banner, or execute a
command from the top level of the configuration.
Syntax: top <configuration-command>

up

Move up one level in the statement hierarchy.

Syntax: up <number>

update

Update a private database. For more information on the update command, see the JUNOS System Basics and
Services Command Reference.
Syntax: update

CLI Configuration Mode Top-Level Commands

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Load a Configuration Using Copy and Paste Commands

You can load configurations using the copy and paste commands in the following
ways:
1. Load a Configuration from a File To a Router on page 22
2. Load a Configuration Using the display set Command on page 24

Load a Configuration from a File To a Router

Purpose

Action

You can create a file, copy the file to the local router, and then load the file into the
CLI. After you have loaded the file, you can commit it to activate the configuration
on the router, or you can edit the configuration interactively using the CLI and
commit it at a later time.
To load a configuration from a file, follow these steps:
1. Create the configuration in a file using a text editor such as Notepad, making
sure that the syntax of the configuration file is correct. See JUNOS Internet
Software Protocols, Class of Service, Chassis, and Management Command
Reference, for information about testing the syntax of a configuration file.
2. In the text file, use an option to perform the required action. The following table
lists and describes some options. For an example of a text file, see What It
Means.
Table 12: Options for the load Command

merge

Combines the current configuration and the configuration in filename or the

one that you type at the terminal. A merge operation is useful when you are
adding a new section to an existing configuration. If the existing
configuration and the incoming configuration contain conflicting statements,
the statements in the incoming configuration override those in the existing
configuration.

override

Discards the current candidate configuration and loads the configuration in

filename or the one that you type at the terminal. When you use the override
option and commit the configuration, all system processes reparse the
configuration. You can use the override option at any level of the hierarchy.

replace

Searches for the replace tags, deletes the existing statements of the same
name, if any, and replaces them with the incoming configuration. If there is
no existing statement of the same name, the replace operation adds the
statements marked with the replace tag to the configuration.
Note: For this operation to work, you must include replace tags in the text file
or configuration you type at the terminal.

3. Enter Ctrl+a to select all the text, and Ctrl+c to copy the contents of the text file
to the clipboard.

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Chapter 2: Cheat Sheet for the CLI Commands

4. On the router, enter configuration mode:

user@host> cli
[edit]
user@host#

5. Load the configuration file:

user@host> load merge terminal

6. At the prompt, paste the contents of the clipboard using the mouse and the
paste icon.
[edit]
user@host# load merge terminal
[Type ^D at a new line to end input]
> Paste the contents of the clipboard here<

7. Hit Enter.
8. Enter Ctrl+d.
9. Commit the configuration to activate it on the router, or you can edit the
configuration interactively using the CLI and commit it at a later time.
Sample Output

The following is an example of a text file with the replace option:

interfaces {
replace:
so-0/0/0 {
unit 0 {
family inet {
address 10.1.34.1/30;
}
}
}
protocols {
replace:
isis {
interface so-0/0/1.0 {
level 1 metric 10;
level 2 disable;
}
interface fxp0.0 {
disable;
}
interface lo0.0;
}
}

Load a Configuration Using Copy and Paste Commands

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The following output is for Step 4 through Step 8:

[edit]
user@R1# load merge terminal
[Type ^D at a new line to end input]
interfaces {
replace:
so-0/0/0 {
unit 0 {
family inet {
address 10.1.34.1/30;
}
}
}
protocols {
replace:
isis {
interface so-0/0/1.0 {
level 1 metric 10;
level 2 disable;
}
interface fxp0.0 {
disable;
}
interface lo0.0;
}
}
load complete

What It Means

The sample output shows a configuration loaded from a text file with the replace
option. For more information about loading a configuration, see the JUNOS System
Basics Configuration Guide.

Load a Configuration Using the display set Command

Purpose

Action

In configuration mode only, you can display the configuration as a series of

configuration mode commands required to recreate the configuration. This is useful
for users who are not familiar with how to use configuration mode commands or
for users who wish to cut, paste, and edit the displayed configuration. In addition,
you can duplicate the configuration of one router to another.
To load a configuration from the local router to a target router, follow these steps:
1. On the local router, enter configuration mode:
user@R1> cli
[edit]
user@host#

2. Go to the hierarchy level you want to copy. For example:

[edit]
user@R1# edit interfaces

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Chapter 2: Cheat Sheet for the CLI Commands

3. Display the series of configuration commands required to recreate the

configuration. For example:
[edit interfaces]
user@R1# show | display set
set interfaces so-0/0/0 unit 0 family inet accounting destination-class-usage
set interfaces so-0/0/0 unit 0 family inet address 10.1.12.1/30
set interfaces fxp0 unit 0 family inet address 10.168.70.143/21
set interfaces lo0 unit 0 family inet address 10.0.0.1/32
set interfaces lo0 unit 0 family iso address 49.0002.1000.0000.0003.00

4. Copy each line of the configuration individually from the local router to the
target router. In the target router, you must be at the top level of the
configuration and in configuration mode. For example:
mwazna@R2> edit
Entering configuration mode
[edit]
mwazna@R2# set interfaces so-0/0/0 unit 0 family inet accounting
destination-class-usage

5. Continue cutting and pasting each line of the configuration.

6. Commit the configuration to activate it on the router, or you can edit the
configuration interactively using the CLI and commit it at a later time.

Load a Configuration Using Copy and Paste Commands

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CLI Keyboard Shortcuts

In the CLI, you can use keyboard sequences to move around and edit a command
line. You can also use keyboard sequences to scroll through a list of recently
executed commands.
The following table lists some of the CLI keyboard sequences.
Table 13: CLI Keyboard Shortcuts

26

Keyboard sequence

Action

Ctrl+b

Move the cursor back one character.

Esc+b or Alt+b

Move the cursor back one word.

Ctrl+f

Move the cursor forward one character.

Esc+f or Alt+f

Move the cursor forward one word.

Ctrl+a

Move the cursor to the beginning of the command line.

Ctrl+e

Move the cursor to the end of the command line.

Ctrl+h, Delete, or Backspace

Delete the character before the cursor.

Ctrl+d

Delete the character at the cursor.

Ctrl+k

Delete the all characters from the cursor to the end of the command line.

Ctrl+u or Ctrl+x

Delete the all characters from the command line.

Ctrl+w, Esc+Backspace, or Alt+Backspace

Delete the word before the cursor.

Esc+d or Alt+d

Delete the word after the cursor.

Ctrl+y

Insert the most recently deleted text at the cursor.

Ctrl+l

Redraw the current line.

Ctrl+p

Scroll backward through the list of recently executed commands.

Ctrl+n

Scroll forward through the list of recently executed commands.

Ctrl+r

Search the CLI history incrementally in reverse order for lines matching the
search string.

Esc+/ or Alt+/

Search the CLI history for words for which the current word is a prefix.

Esc-1 through Esc-9 or Alt-1 through Alt-9

Specify the number of times to execute a keyboard sequence.

CLI Keyboard Shortcuts

Chapter 2: Cheat Sheet for the CLI Commands

Manage Output at the ---(more)--- Prompt

If the output is longer than the screen length, it appears one screen at a time with
the UNIX ---(more)-- prompt at the end of the screen. The ---(more)--- prompt indicates
that more output is available. The following table lists the keyboard sequences you
can use at the --(more)--- prompt.
Table 14: Keyboard Shortcuts at the ---(more)--- Prompt
Keyboard Shortcut

Action

Enter, Return, k, Ctrl+m, Ctrl+n, or down arrow

Scroll down one line.

Tab, d, Ctrl+d, or Ctrl+x

Scroll down one-half screen.

Space or Ctrl+f

Scroll down one whole screen.

Ctrl+e or g

Scroll down to the bottom of the output.

n (or no-more)

Display the output all at once instead of one screen at a time.

j, Ctrl-h, Ctrl-p, or up arrow

Scroll up one line.

or Ctrl-u

Scroll up one-half screen.

or Ctrl-b

Scroll up one whole screen.

Ctrl-a or g

Scroll up to the bottom of the output.

/string

Search forward for a string.

?string

Search backward for a string.

Repeat previous search for a string.

m or M (or | match string)

Find a text string. You are prompted for the string to match

e or E (or | except string)

Find, ignoring a text string. You are prompted for the string to ignore.

Ctrl-C, q, Q, or Ctrl-k

Interrupt the display of output.

H (Same as specifying | hold)

Hold the CLI at the More prompt after displaying all output.

c or C

Clear any match conditions and display the complete output.

Ctrl-l

Redraw the output on the screen.

s or S (or | save filename)

Save the command output to a file. You are prompted for a filename.

Manage Output at the ---(more)--- Prompt

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Manage Output at the ---(more)--- Prompt