VyOS CLI - Operational Mode and Configuration

VyOS provides a powerful command-line interface for managing the system. The CLI consists of two main modes: operational mode and configuration mode.

Operational Mode

Operational mode is used to perform system tasks and to inspect the state of the system and its services.

Key Characteristics

Lets you perform system tasks without changing the configuration
Provides a built-in help system
Supports command auto-completion

Getting Help

Use ? to view the available commands:

vyos@vyos:~$ ?
Possible completions:
  clear      Clear system information
  configure  Enter configuration mode
  force      Force an operation
  monitor    Monitor system information
  ping       Send ICMP echo requests
  reset      Reset a service
  restart    Restart a service
  show       Show system information
  telnet     Telnet to a node
  traceroute Track network path to node

Auto-Completion

Use the TAB key to auto-complete commands:

vyos@vyos:~$ sh<TAB>
vyos@vyos:~$ show

Command Families

clear

Non-destructive actions, such as resetting counters or clearing logs:

vyos@vyos:~$ clear interfaces ethernet eth0 counters

reset

Locally destructive actions, such as terminating sessions:

vyos@vyos:~$ reset vpn ipsec-peer 192.0.2.1

restart

Restarting subsystems:

vyos@vyos:~$ restart service ssh

force

Forcing certain system actions:

vyos@vyos:~$ force arp-cache refresh

execute

Running diagnostic and helper tasks:

vyos@vyos:~$ execute ping 8.8.8.8

show

Displaying system information:

vyos@vyos:~$ show interfaces
vyos@vyos:~$ show ip route
vyos@vyos:~$ show version

monitor

Continuous output of information (real-time updates):

vyos@vyos:~$ monitor interfaces ethernet eth0 traffic
vyos@vyos:~$ monitor log

To exit monitoring mode, use Ctrl+C.

Configuration Mode

Configuration mode is used to make changes to the system configuration.

Entering Configuration Mode

vyos@vyos:~$ configure
[edit]
vyos@vyos#

Note how the command prompt changes from ~$ to #.

Basic Configuration Commands

set

Add or modify a configuration item:

vyos@vyos# set interfaces ethernet eth0 address 192.168.1.1/24
vyos@vyos# set interfaces ethernet eth0 description 'LAN Interface'

delete

Remove a configuration item:

vyos@vyos# delete interfaces ethernet eth0 address 192.168.1.1/24

commit

Apply configuration changes:

vyos@vyos# commit

Important: Changes do not take effect until you run the commit command.

save

Save the configuration permanently:

vyos@vyos# save
Saving configuration to '/config/config.boot'...
Done

By default, the configuration is saved to /config/config.boot.

compare

View the differences between the current working and active configurations:

vyos@vyos# compare
[edit interfaces ethernet eth0]
+address 192.168.1.1/24
+description "LAN Interface"

exit discard

Exit configuration mode without saving changes:

vyos@vyos# exit discard
vyos@vyos:~$

exit

Exit configuration mode while keeping the changes:

vyos@vyos# commit
vyos@vyos# exit
vyos@vyos:~$

Navigating the Configuration Hierarchy

The VyOS configuration is organized as a tree hierarchy.

edit

Move to a specific configuration level:

vyos@vyos# edit interfaces ethernet eth0
[edit interfaces ethernet eth0]
vyos@vyos#

Now all commands run in the context of interfaces ethernet eth0:

[edit interfaces ethernet eth0]
vyos@vyos# set address 192.168.1.1/24
vyos@vyos# set description 'LAN Interface'

up

Move up one level:

[edit interfaces ethernet eth0]
vyos@vyos# up
[edit interfaces]
vyos@vyos#

top

Move to the root configuration level:

[edit interfaces ethernet eth0]
vyos@vyos# top
[edit]
vyos@vyos#

exit

Exit up one level (similar to up):

[edit interfaces ethernet eth0]
vyos@vyos# exit
[edit interfaces]
vyos@vyos#

Configuration Management

Configuration History

VyOS automatically keeps a history of configurations. View the list of saved revisions:

vyos@vyos# show system commit
0   2024-10-13 15:30:45 by vyos via cli
1   2024-10-13 14:15:22 by vyos via cli
2   2024-10-13 12:05:10 by vyos via cli

Configuration Rollback

Roll back to a previous configuration revision:

vyos@vyos# rollback 1
vyos@vyos# commit

Roll back to the last saved configuration:

vyos@vyos# rollback
vyos@vyos# commit

Comparing Configurations

Compare the current configuration with a saved revision:

vyos@vyos# compare 1

Compare two saved revisions:

vyos@vyos# compare 1 2

Configuration Comments

Add comments to configuration items for documentation purposes:

vyos@vyos# comment interfaces ethernet eth0 address 192.168.1.1/24 "Primary LAN address"

View comments:

vyos@vyos# show interfaces ethernet eth0
/* Primary LAN address */
address 192.168.1.1/24
description "LAN Interface"

Commit Confirm

For critical changes, you can use a confirmation with a timeout. If the changes are not confirmed within the specified time, the configuration is rolled back automatically:

vyos@vyos# commit-confirm 5

Confirm the changes within 5 minutes:

vyos@vyos# confirm

This is useful when changing the network settings of a remote router, so that you avoid losing access.

Viewing the Configuration

show

View the current configuration:

vyos@vyos# show

View a specific part of the configuration:

vyos@vyos# show interfaces
vyos@vyos# show interfaces ethernet eth0

show | commands

Display the configuration as set commands:

vyos@vyos# show interfaces ethernet eth0 | commands
set interfaces ethernet eth0 address '192.168.1.1/24'
set interfaces ethernet eth0 description 'LAN Interface'

This is useful for copying a configuration or building scripts.

show | display-set

An alternative way to display the configuration as set commands:

vyos@vyos# show | display-set

Loading a Configuration

load

Load a configuration from a file:

vyos@vyos# load /config/backup-config.boot

Merge a configuration from a file into the current one:

vyos@vyos# merge /config/additional-config.boot

Configuration Archiving

Local Archiving

VyOS automatically saves every committed revision of the configuration.

Configure the number of retained revisions:

set system config-management commit-archive location '/config/archive'
set system config-management commit-revisions 50

Remote Archiving

Configure automatic upload of the configuration to a remote server after every commit:

set system config-management commit-archive location 'scp://user@192.0.2.100/backup'

Tips and Recommendations

Keyboard Shortcuts

TAB - auto-complete a command
? - show available commands
Ctrl+A - move to the beginning of the line
Ctrl+E - move to the end of the line
Ctrl+U - delete everything to the left of the cursor
Ctrl+K - delete everything to the right of the cursor
Ctrl+W - delete the word to the left of the cursor
Ctrl+L - clear the screen
Ctrl+C - interrupt the command

Command History

Up/Down arrow - navigate through command history
Ctrl+R - search the command history

Pipelines

Commands can be piped to filter their output:

vyos@vyos# show | grep address
vyos@vyos# show | match "192.168"

Available filters:

match - show lines that contain the pattern
except - exclude lines that contain the pattern
commands - show as set commands

Copy and Paste

When working over a remote session, use copy/paste of the configuration in the form of set commands:

vyos@vyos# show interfaces ethernet eth0 | commands

Copy the output and paste it into another VyOS system.

Example Workflow

A typical configuration change process:

# 1. Enter configuration mode
vyos@vyos:~$ configure
[edit]

# 2. Make changes
vyos@vyos# set interfaces ethernet eth1 address 192.168.2.1/24
vyos@vyos# set interfaces ethernet eth1 description 'DMZ'

# 3. Review the changes
vyos@vyos# compare

# 4. Apply the changes
vyos@vyos# commit

# 5. Save the configuration
vyos@vyos# save

# 6. Exit configuration mode
vyos@vyos# exit
vyos@vyos:~$

Next Steps

Now that you are familiar with the CLI, continue with:

Configuration Overview - understanding the configuration structure
Configuration - detailed guide to configuring components
Operational Mode - advanced operational commands

Reviewed by OpenNix LLC · Last updated on 29 July 2026

VyOS Installation and Image Management VyOS Configuration Overview - Hierarchical Management