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ttys(5)

NAME

     ttys -- terminal initialization information

DESCRIPTION

     The file ttys contains information that is used by various routines to
     initialize and control the use of terminal special files.	This informa-
     tion is read with the getttyent(3) library routines.  There is one line
     in the ttys file per special device file.	Fields are separated by tabs
     and/or spaces.  Fields comprised of more than one word should be enclosed
     in double quotes (``"'').	Blank lines and comments may appear anywhere
     in the file; comments are delimited by hash marks (``#'') and new lines.
     Any unspecified fields will default to null.

     The first field is normally the name of the terminal special file as it
     is found in /dev.	However, it can be any arbitrary string when the asso-
     ciated command is not related to a tty.

     The second field of the file is the command to execute for the line, usu-
     ally getty(8), which initializes and opens the line, setting the speed,
     waiting for a user name and executing the login(1) program.  It can be,
     however, any desired command, for example the start up for a window sys-
     tem terminal emulator or some other daemon process, and can contain mul-
     tiple words if quoted.

     The third field is the type of terminal usually connected to that tty
     line, normally the one found in the termcap(5) data base file.  The envi-
     ronment variable TERM is initialized with the value by either getty(8) or
     login(1).

     The remaining fields set flags in the ty_status entry (see getttyent(3)),
     specify a window system process that init(8) will maintain for the termi-
     nal line, optionally determine the type of tty (whether dialin, network
     or otherwise), or specify a tty group name that allows the login class
     database (see login.conf(5)) to refer to many ttys as a group, to selec-
     tively allow or deny access or enable or disable accounting facilities
     for ttys as a group.

     As flag values, the strings ``on'' and ``off'' specify that init(8)
     should (should not) execute the command given in the second field, while
     ``secure'' (if ``on'' is also specified) allows users with a uid of 0 to
     login on this line.  The flag ``dialin'' indicates that a tty entry
     describes a dialin line, and ``network'' indicates that a tty entry pro-
     vides a network connection.  Either of these strings may also be speci-
     fied in the terminal type field.  The string ``window='' may be followed
     by a quoted command string which init(8) will execute before starting the
     command specified by the second field.

     The string ``group='' may be followed by a group name comprised of
     alphanumeric characters that can be used by login.conf(5) to refer to
     many tty lines as a group to enable or disable access and accounting
     facilities.  If no group is specified, then the tty becomes a member of
     the group "none".	For backwards compatibility, the ``group='' should
     appear last on the line, immediately before the optional comment.

     Both the second field and any command specified with ``window='' will be
     split into words and executed using execve(2).  Words are separated by
     any combinations of tabs and spaces.  Arguments containing whitespace
     # Mike's terminal: hp2621
     ttyh0   "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   hp2621-nl	     on group=dialup # 457 Evans
     # John's terminal: vt100
     ttyh1   "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   vt100   on group=dialup	     # 459 Evans
     # terminal emulate/window system
     ttyv0   "/usr/new/xterm -L :0"	     vs100   on window="/usr/new/Xvs100 0"
     # Network pseudo ttys -- don't enable getty
     ttyp0   none    network	     group=pty
     ttyp1   none    network off     group=pty

FILES

     /etc/ttys

SEE ALSO

     login(1), getttyent(3), ttyslot(3), gettytab(5), login.conf(5),
     termcap(5), getty(8), init(8)

HISTORY

     A ttys file appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.

FreeBSD 5.4		       November 17, 1996		   FreeBSD 5.4

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