Since release 6.2 (Mendocino) Vyatta has an API for working with configuration from shell scripts. Its binary is **/opt/vyatta/sbin/my_cli_shell_api** and has symbolic link at **/bin/cli-shell-api**. This page describes methods of the API as of Vyatta 6.4 (Oxnard) release.
Definitions
=========
**Active config** is config, currently used by system.
**Working config** is config we are making during configuration session.
Effective config
-------------------
The definition of "effective" is different under these two scenarios.
1. When used outside a config session, "effective" == "active". In other words, in such cases the effective config is the same as the running config.
2. When used during a config session, a config path (leading to either a "node" or a "value") is "effective" if ANY of the following is true.
- active && working
Path is in both active and working configs, i.e., unchanged.
- !active && working && committed
Path is not in active, has been set in working, AND has already been committed, i.e., "commit" has successfully processed the addition/update of the path.
- active && !working && !committed
Path is in active, has been deleted from working, AND has not been committed yet, i.e., "commit" (per priority) has not processed the deletion of the path yet, or it has been processed but failed.
**Note:** during commit, deactivate has the same effect as delete. So in such cases, as far as these functions are concerned, deactivated nodes don't exist.
Method reference
==============
It is invoked in format:
`cli-shell-api <method> <configuration path>`
Currently API has the following methods:
| Method | Arguments | Purpose |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| getSessionEnv | Session identifier | Returns environment variables needed for configuration session to work[1] |
| getEditEnv | Configuration path | Returns environment variables for edit level specified in argument. |
| getEditUpEnv | None | Returns environment variables for edit level above current edit level. Returns string "Already at the top level" when ran at the top edit level. |
| getEditResetEnv | None | Returns environment variables for the top level. |
| editLevelAtRoot | None | Returns 0 if current edit level is top level, 1 otherwise |
| getCompletionEnv | Command and component (e.g. "set service" or "edit firewall") | Returns environment variables needed for command completion to work. |
| getEditLevelStr | None | Returns current edit level. |
| markSessionUnsaved | None | Mark current configuration session unsaved. |
| unmarkSessionUnsaved | None | Reset session unsaved flag. |
| sessionUnsaved | None | Returns 0 when session unsaved flag is set, 1 otherwise. |
| setupSession | None | Initiate a configuration session. Needs environment to be set properly, see getSessionEnv. |
| sessionChanged | None | Returns 0 if configuration was changed from current session, 1 otherwise. |
| teardownSession | None | End current configuration session. |
| inSession | None | Returns 0 if configuration session is set up, 1 otheriwise. |
| exists | Configuration path | Returns 0 if specified configuration path exists (either in currently used or built during the session config), 1 otherwise. |
| existsActive | Configuration path | Returns 0 if specified node exists in the current active (running) configuration, 1 otherwise. |
| existsEffective | Configuration path | Returns 0 if specified path exists in effective config, 1 otherwise |
| isMulti | Configuration path | Returns 0 if specified node is a multi node (i.e. may have more than one value), 1 otherwise |
| isTag | Configuration path | Returns 0 if specified node is a tag node, 1 otherwise |
| Configuration path | ??? | |
| isLeaf | Configuration path | Returns 0 if specified node is a leaf node, 1 otherwise |
| getNodeType | Configuration path | Returns on of the following: **value** for value nodes, **leaf** for leaf nodes, **multi** for multi nodes, **tag** for tag nodes, **non-leaf** for the rest. |
| listNodes | Configuration path | Returns list of nodes under specified configuration path[2]. |
| listActiveNodes | Configuration path | Returns list of nodes under specified configuration path that are present in currently used config. |
| listEffectiveNodes | Configuration path | Returns list of effective nodes under specified configuration path that are present in effective config. |
| returnValue | Configuration path | Returns value of a node under specified configuration path. |
| returnActiveValue | Configuration path | Returns value of a node under specified configuration path as present in currently used config. |
| returnEffectiveValue | Configuration path | Returns effective value of a node under specified configuration path as present in currently used config. |
| returnValues | Configuration path | Returns values of a multinode under specified configuration path[3]. |
| returnActiveValues | Configuration path | Returns values of a multinode under specified configuration path as present in currently used config. |
| returnEffectiveValues | Configuration path | Returns effective values of a multinode under specified configuration path as present in currently used config. |
| validateTmplPath | Configuration path | Validate the path regardless of given value (e.g. "interfaces ethernet" is a valid path whereas "interfaces foobar" is not.). Returns 0 if path is valid, 1 otherwise. |
| validateTmplValPath | Configuration path | Validate configuration path with respect to value (e.g. "interfaces ethernet" is a valid path, whereas "interfaces foo" is not). Returns 0 if path is valid, 1 otherwise. |
| validateTmplValPath | Configuration path | Validate configuration path with respect to value (e.g. "interfaces ethernet eth0" is a valid path, whereas "interfaces ethernet foo0" is not). Returns 0 if path is valid, 1 otherwise. |
| showCfg | Configuration path (may be empty) | Shows configuration under specified path. |
| showConfig | Configuration path (may be empty) | Show configuration under specified path. Supports the following 8 options: **1:** `--show-active-only` --> show active configuration; **2:** `--show-working-only` --> show working configuration; **3:** `--show-show-defaults` --> include default value; **4:** `--show-hide-secrets` --> replace private information like passwords with "*"; **5:** `--show-context-diff` --> show "context diff" between two configs; **6:** `--show-commands` --> show output in "commands"; **7:** `--show-ignore-edit` --> don't use the edit level in environment; **8:** `--show-cfg1 <cfg1> --show-cfg2 <cfg2>` --> specify the two configs to be diffed (must specify both), values may be file names, "@ACTIVE" or "@WORKING" |
| loadFile | Path to config file | Load configuration file |
| getPreCommitHookDir | None | Returns path to pre-commit hooks directory |
| getPostCommitHookDir | None | Returns path to post-commit hooks directory |
| cfExists | Path to config file, configuration path | Returns 0 if specified configuration path exists in specified config file |
| cfReturnValue | Path to config file, configuration path | Returns value of specified node in specified file |
| cfReturnValues | Path to config file, configuration path | Returns values under specified path in specified file |
Usage
=====
Setting up the session
--------------------------
Before changing configuration and using most part of cli-shell-api methods you must set up session. Current best practice is to use process identifier ($PPID) as session identifier.
```
# Obtain session environment
session_env=$($SHELL_API getSessionEnv $PPID)
# Evaluate environment string
eval $session_env
# Setup the session
cli-shell-api setupSession
```
Then you can make sure session is set up:
cli-shell-api inSession
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
echo "Something went wrong!"
fi
Don't forget to finish your session using cli-shell-api teardownSession. In a bash script make sure session is finished using something like:
function atexit() {
cli-shell-api teardownSession
}
trap atexit EXIT
Configuration output
-------------------------
You can do configuration output even if session is not set up. Example:
```
# cli-shell-api showCfg firewall name TEST rule 10
action reject
source {
address 172.16.0.0/24
}
```
Working with multinode output
-------------------------------------
To work with output of listNodes, returnValues or similar methods you must eval it. Example:
node_list=$(cli-shell-api listNodes firewall name TEST)
eval "NODES=($node_list)"
for i in "${NODES[@]}";
do
cli-shell-api showCfg firewall name TEST rule $i
done
Modifying configuration
-----------------------
Warning: You must set up a session before modifying configuration.
cli-shell-api itself does not have methods to modify configuration. It is done with separate commands that are in /opt/vyatta/sbin (${vyatta_sbindir}) and have names same to configuration mode commands with "my_" prefix. The only exception is command for saving configuration, which is /opt/vyatta/vyatta-save-config.pl (accepts config file name as its optional argument).
You may use the following snippet:
SET=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_set
DELETE=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_delete
COPY=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_copy
MOVE=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_move
RENAME=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_rename
ACTIVATE=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_activate
DEACTIVATE=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_activate
COMMENT=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_comment
COMMIT=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_commit
DISCARD=${vyatta_sbindir}/my_discard
SAVE=${vyatta_sbindir}/vyatta-save-config.pl
Example:
$SET interfaces ethernet eth0 address 10.0.0.1/24
$COMMIT
References
==========
[1]: This and all other methods that return environment variables return a string suitable for "eval".
[2]: This and other listNodes* methods return strings that must be eval'ed into an array (e.g. values=$(cli-shell-api listNodes interfaces); eval "nodes=($values)" )
[3]: Output of this and all other returnValues* methods is a string that must be eval'ed.