Customizing the User Interface

You can access the CLI through a console connected directly to the system or through a Telnet session. This section describes how you can customize the user interface. Some commands apply to the console, and some commands apply to vty lines that support Telnet sessions.

Setting the Console Speed

You can specify the console speed for only the current console session or for the current console session and all subsequent console sessions.

speed

• Use to set the speed for the current and all subsequent console sessions immediately.
• Example

  host1(config)#line console 0

  host1(config-line)#speed 14400

• Use the no version to revert to the default, 9600 bps.
• See speed.

terminal speed

• Use to set the speed for the current console session.
• Example

  host1#terminal speed 14400

• There is no no version.
• See terminal speed.

Configuring the Display Terminal

You can specify the number of lines that appear on a terminal screen and the number of characters that appear on a line.

terminal length

• Use to set the number of lines on a screen.
• If a command generates more lines than the number configured, the output pauses after each screen.
• Set the number of lines on a screen in the range 0–512.
• Use 0 for no pausing.
• Example

  host1#terminal length 25

• There is no no version.
• See terminal length.

terminal width

• Use to set the width of the display terminal.
• Set the number of characters on a screen line in the range 30–512.
• Example

  host1#terminal width 80

• There is no no version.
• See terminal width.

Specifying the Character Set

You can specify the number of data bits per character for the current vty session and for all subsequent sessions on the specified vty lines. This feature allows you to display international characters on the terminal’s screen.

data-character-bits

• Use to set the number of bits per character on the terminal’s screen for all future sessions on the specified lines.
• Use the default setting, 8, to view the full set of 8-bit international characters. Be sure that the software on other devices in the network also supports international characters.
• Set the number of bits to 7 to view only characters in the standard ASCII set.
• Example

  host1(config)#line vty 1 3

  host1(config-line)#data-character-bits 7

• There is no no version.
• See data-character-bits.

terminal data-character-bits

• Use to set the number of bits per character on the terminal’s screen for the current session.
• Use the default setting, 8, to view the full set of 8-bit international characters. Be sure that software on other devices in the network also supports international characters.
• Set the number of bits to 7 to view only characters in the standard ASCII set.
• Example

  host1#terminal data-character-bits 7

• There is no no version.
• See terminal data-character-bits.

Configuring Login Conditions

You can issue the dsr-detect command to configure the system so that a data set ready (DSR) signal is required to log in to the console. If a session is in progress and the DSR signal is lost, the user is logged out automatically.

DSR is carried on pin 6 of the SRP module’s RS-232 (DB-9) connector. The DSR input must be connected to the DSR output of a modem or the DTR output of another data terminal device, such as a terminal server, that supports this signal.

dsr-detect

• Use to require that a DSR signal be detected on the line for a user to log in to the console.
• By default, DSR is not required and DSR detection is disabled.
• Example

  host1(config-line)#dsr-detect

• Use the no version to remove the DSR requirement for login.
• See dsr-detect.

Setting Time Limits for User Login

You can specify a time interval that the CLI waits for a user to provide a password when logging in to the console or a vty line. To do so:

1. Access the line configuration mode using either the console or vty keyword.
2. Specify the time during which the user must enter the password. For example:

   host1(config)#line console 0

   host1(config-line)#login

   host1(config-line)#timeout login response 15

timeout login response

• Use to set the time interval that the console or vty lines wait for the user to log in.
• If the interval passes and the user has not responded, the system closes the session or lines.
• Specify an interval in the range 0–300 seconds. A value of 0 means that there is no time limit during which the user must respond.
• The default value is 30 seconds.
• Example

  host1(config-line)#timeout login response 15

• Use the no version to restore the default interval, 30 seconds.
• See timeout login response.

Setting Time Limits for User Input

You can specify a time interval that the CLI waits for user input on the console or vty lines. To do so:

1. Access the line configuration mode using either the console or vty keyword.
2. Specify the time during which the user must enter information. For example:

   host1(config)#line vty 0

   host1(config-line)#exec-timeout 4192 13

exec-timeout

• Use to set the time interval that the console or vty lines wait for expected user input.
• If the interval passes and the user has not responded, the system closes the session or lines.
• Specify a time limit in the range 0–35791 minutes, and optionally specify the number of seconds.
• By default, there is no time limit.
• Example

  host1(config-line)#exec-timeout 4192 13

• Use the no version to remove the time limit.
• See exec-timeout.

Configuring CLI Messages

You can configure text banners for the CLI to display to users at different times in the connection process.

banner

• Use to configure message-of-the-day (MOTD), login, or exec banner to be displayed by the CLI:
  • motd—Displays the banner when a console or vty connection is initiated.
  • login—Displays the banner before any user authentication (line or RADIUS authentication). The banner is also displayed if user authentication is not configured.
  • exec—Displays the banner after user authentication (if any) and before the first prompt of a CLI session.
• If you do not specify an option, the default behavior is to display the banner as an MOTD.
• The first character in the banner string must be repeated at the end of the string; these characters delimit the banner. The CLI prompts you if you fail to repeat the opening delimiter. All text following the second occurrence of the delimiter is ignored without warning. The delimiter is case sensitive.
• Banner text can span multiple lines. It is truncated after 1,024 characters.
• Insert \n where you want the banner text to split and start a new line. Alternatively, you can press Enter on the CLI when you want the text to break. In the second case, you will be prompted for the remainder of the text after you press Enter. To display a backslash as part of the message, it must be immediately preceded by another backslash, like this: \\. Do not use a backslash as a delimiter or end a line with a backslash.
• To insert a ? character inside the text of a banner, you must enter Ctrl+v before entering the ? character. Failure to do so may produce undesired results.
• Examples

  host1(config)#banner motd x This is an MOTD banner x

  host1(config)#banner Y This is also an MOTD banner Y

  host1(config)#banner "Quotes make good delimiters"

  host1(config)#banner Xno space is required between the delimiter and the real banner textX

  host1(config)#banner b bad choice for a delimiter; everything after that second b was ignored b

  host1(config)#banner "This is one way\nto specify a multiple line banner"

  host1(config)#banner "This is another way to specify a

  Enter remainder of text message. End with the character '"'.

  multiple line banner”

• Use the default version to restore the default setting, in which the banner is displayed on all lines.
• You can configure MOTD or exec banners, but not login banners, for the CLI to display on a per-line basis.
• Use the no version to remove the banner.
• See banner.

exec-banner

• Use to display an exec banner on a particular line after user authentication (if any) and before the first prompt of a CLI session.
• Banners on the lines are enabled by default; the no version does not reenable banners on the lines.
• See banner command description for more information about configuring an exec banner.
• Example

  host1(config-line)#exec-banner

• Use the default version to restore the default setting, in which the banner is displayed on all lines.
• Use the no version to disable the exec banner on the line. If both the exec and MOTD banners are enabled on a line, issuing the no exec-banner command disables both the exec banner and the MOTD banner. The no motd-banner command behaves differently from the no exec-banner command.
• See exec-banner.

motd-banner

• Use to display an MOTD banner on a particular line when a connection is initiated.
• Banners on the lines are enabled by default; the no version does not reenable banners on the lines.
• See banner command description for more information about configuring an MOTD banner.
• Example

  host1(config-line)#motd-banner

• Use the default version to restore the default setting, in which the banner is displayed on all lines.
• Use the no version to disable the MOTD banner on the line. If both MOTD and exec banners are enabled on a line, issuing the no motd-banner command disables the MOTD banner and leaves the exec banner enabled. The no motd-banner command behaves differently from the no exec-banner command.
• See motd-banner.

Monitoring the Console Settings

You can use the following commands to monitor console settings.

show line console 0

• Use to view the parameters configured for all future console sessions and the current console session.
• Example

  host1#show line console 0
  dsr-detect disabled
  configured speed 9600, current speed 9600
  exec-timeout never

• See show line console 0.

show terminal

• Use to view parameters of the current console session.
• Field descriptions
  • Length—Number of lines on the screen
  • Width—Number of characters on each line of the screen
  • data-character-bits—Number of bits per character
    • 7—Setting for the standard ASCII set
    • 8—Setting for the international character set
  • Speed—Speed of the console session
  • dsr-detect—Status of DSR signal detection
    • enabled—DSR signal must be detected for a user to log in to the console.
    • disabled—DSR signal need not be detected for a user to log in to the console.
  • exec-timeout—Time interval that the terminal waits for expected user input
    • Never—Indicates that there is no time limit
  • exec-banner—Status for the exec banner: enabled or disabled. This banner is displayed by the CLI after user authentication (if any) and before the first prompt of a CLI session.
  • motd-banner—Status for the MOTD banner: enabled or disabled. This banner is displayed by the CLI when a connection is initiated.
  • login-timeout—Time interval during which the user must log in.
    • Never—Indicates that there is no time limit
• Example

  host1#show terminal
  Length: 25 lines, Width: 80 columns
  data-character-bits: 8 bits per character
  Speed: 9600 bits per second
  dsr-detect disabled
  exec-timeout never
  exec-banner enabled
  motd-banner enabled
  login-timeout 30 seconds

• See show terminal.