1 – Log in to SONiC - Pine Networks

In this article we will explore how to log in to Enterprise SONiC and the basics of the Command-Line Interface (CLI). We will cover:

Access methods
User login
Privilege levels
Basic navigation commands

Access Methods

You can access the switch using:

Console port (direct physical connection).
SSH (remote secure login).

ssh admin@192.168.1.10

Default username is admin Password is YourPaSsWoRd

User Login

When logging in, you will be prompted for credentials.

login as: admin
admin@192.168.1.10's password: ********
admin@sonic:~$

sonic-cli

When logged in, you will be in the linux shell. To go to the SONiC CLI use the command sonic-cli

admin@sonic:~$ sonic-cli
sonic#

Privilege Levels

The CLI provides different modes:

1. User EXEC mode (prompt ends with >).
  - Limited set of commands (e.g., ping, show).
2. Privileged EXEC mode (prompt ends with #).
  - Full access to configuration and monitoring commands.
  - Entered by typing:
```
sonic> enable
sonic#
```
3. Global Configuration mode (prompt ends with (config)#).
  - Entered with:
```
sonic# configure terminal
sonic(config)#
```
4. Interface Configuration mode (prompt ends with (conf-if)#).
  - Used to configure interfaces:
```
sonic# interface Ethernet 1
sonic(config-if)#
```

Basic Navigation Commands

Some essential commands to get started:

enable → move from user to privileged EXEC mode.
configure terminal → enter configuration mode.
exit → move back one level in CLI hierarchy.
end → exit directly to privileged EXEC mode.
show running-configuration → view active configuration.
show version → display SONiC version and build info.

Verification

You can verify login and basic system status using:


sonic(config)# show version

SONiC Software Version: Enterprise SONiC 4.5.0
Distribution: Debian 11.5
Kernel: 5.10.0-21-amd64
Platform: x86_64-onyx
ASIC: Broadcom
Build date: 2023-07-15
password: ********
sonic#

Notes

Usernames/passwords are managed by the system administrator. Default login credentials should always be changed for security.
Privilege separation ensures only authorized users can modify configuration.
SSH access requires that the management interface and IP are configured.