TTYS(5) File Formats Manual TTYS(5)NAME
ttys - terminal initialization data
DESCRIPTION
The ttys file is read by the init program and specifies which terminal special files are to have a process created for them which will
allow people to log in. It contains one line per special file.
The first character of a line is either `0' or `1'; the former causes the line to be ignored, the latter causes it to be effective. The
second character is used as an argument to getty(8), which performs such tasks as baud-rate recognition, reading the login name, and call-
ing login. For normal lines, the character is `0'; other characters can be used, for example, with hard-wired terminals where speed recog-
nition is unnecessary or which have special characteristics. (Getty will have to be fixed in such cases.) The remainder of the line is
the terminal's entry in the device directory, /dev.
FILES
/etc/ttys
SEE ALSO init(8), getty(8), login(1)TTYS(5)
Check Out this Related Man Page
TTYS(5) BSD File Formats Manual 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. Pseudo-ter-
minals (see pts(4)) are not listed. This information 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 unspeci-
fied 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
associated command is not related to a tty.
The second field of the file is the command to execute for the line, usually 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 system terminal emulator or some other daemon process, and can contain multiple 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
environment 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
terminal 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 selectively 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.
``onifconsole'' will cause this line to be enabled if and only if it is an active kernel console device (it is equivalent to ``on'' in this
case). The flag ``secure'' (if the console is enabled) 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'' is obsolete and does nothing. Either of these strings may also be specified in the
terminal type field. The string ``window='' may be followed by a quoted command string which init(8) will execute before starting the com-
mand 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 should be enclosed in single quotes ('). Note that no shell-style
globbing or other variable substitution occurs.
FILES
/etc/ttys
EXAMPLES
# root login on console at 1200 baud
console "/usr/libexec/getty std.1200" vt100 on secure
# dialup at 1200 baud, no root logins
ttyd0 "/usr/libexec/getty d1200" dialup on group=dialup # 555-1234
# 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/local/bin/xterm -display :0" xterm on window="/usr/local/bin/X :0"
SEE ALSO login(1), getttyent(3), gettytab(5), login.conf(5), termcap(5), getty(8), init(8)HISTORY
A ttys file appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.
BSD March 9, 2014 BSD