FortiGate
FortiGate Next Generation Firewall utilizes purpose-built security processors and threat intelligence security services from FortiGuard labs to deliver top-rated protection and high performance, including encrypted traffic.
ritikranjan
Staff
Staff
Article Id 406752
Description This article describes how, when users access the FortiGate Command Line Interface (CLI) via SSH, Telnet, or the console, the users may notice that the prompt displays either a '#' or a '$' symbol after the hostname. This article explains the significance of these symbols and implications for user access and permissions in the FortiGate CLI environment.
Scope FortiGate.
Solution

Explanation of # and $ Prompts:

 

The # (Hash) Prompt:

  • Indication: The # prompt indicates that the user is logged in with full administrative privileges (read-write access) to the FortiGate CLI.
  • Context: This prompt appears when the user has logged in with an account that has super_admin privileges or an administrator profile with unrestricted access to all CLI commands and configuration settings.
  • Capabilities:
    • Execute all CLI commands, including configuration (config), diagnostic (diagnose), execution (execute), and informational (get) commands.
    • Modify system settings, policies, and configurations.
    • Perform administrative tasks such as rebooting, resetting, or upgrading the FortiGate unit.

 

Example Prompt:

 

b31a3ac7-3660-4d25-ab32-e6b0174a54fc.png


Here, FortiWiFi-Home is the hostname of the FortiGate unit, and the # signifies full administrative access.


The $ (Dollar) Prompt:

 

  • Indication: The $ prompt indicates that the user is logged in with limited or read-only privileges in the FortiGate CLI.
  • Context: This prompt is displayed when the user has logged in with an account that has restricted permissions, typically associated with a custom administrator profile that limits access to specific commands or areas of the system (e.g., read-only or partial read-write access).
  • Capabilities:
    • Users can execute commands allowed by the administrator profile, such as get or show to view configurations, or specific diagnose commands, depending on the permissions granted.
    • Configuration changes (config commands) or certain execute commands (e.g., reboot, factory reset) are restricted unless explicitly permitted in the admin profile.
    • If a user attempts a command outside the permissions, the CLI will return an error, such as:

read_only1.png

 

The above screenshot also shows the available top-level commands the current administrator can run. The current administrator can use '?' in the CLI to display the available top-level commands.

 

read_only.png

Here, FortiWiFi-Home is the hostname, and the $ indicates restricted access.