NAME

ttys − terminal initialization data

SYNOPSIS

/etc/ttys

DESCRIPTION

The /etc/ttys file is read by the init program and specifies which terminal special files are to have a process created so that people can log in.  There is one line in the /etc/ttys file for each terminal line. 

The first character of a line in the /etc/ttys file is either ‘0’ or ’1’.  If the first character on the line is a ‘0’, init ignores that line.  If the first character on the line is a ‘1’, init creates a login process for that line. 

The second character of a line in the /etc/ttys file is passed to getty(8). Getty uses this character to select an entry from the /etc/gettytab file (see gettytab(5)). The entries in /etc/gettytab describe characteristics, including baud rate, of various terminal classes.  For normal lines, the second character is ‘0’, although other characters can be used (as for example, with hard-wired terminals where speed recognition is unnecessary or which have special characteristics). 

The remainder of a line in the /etc/ttys file is the terminal’s entry in the device directory, /dev. 

FILES

/etc/ttys
/etc/gettytab

SEE ALSO

getty(8), gettytab(5), init(8), login(1)
Balance System Administrator’s Guide

7th Edition