NAME

getty  − set terminal mode

SYNOPSIS

/etc/getty [ char ]

DESCRIPTION

Getty is invoked by init(8) immediately after a terminal is opened, following the making of a connection.  While reading the name getty attempts to adapt the system to the speed and type of terminal being used. 

Init calls getty with an argument specified by the ttys file entry for the terminal line.  Arguments other than ‘0’ can be used to make getty treat the line specially.  Refer to ttys(5) and gettytab(5) for descriptions of how getty uses the data in gettytab to set up the terminal.  Normally, it sets the speed of the interface to 300 baud, specifies that raw mode is to be used (break on every character), that echo is to be suppressed, and either parity allowed.  It types a banner identifying the system (from gethostname(2)) and the ‘login:’ message.  Then the user’s name is read, a character at a time.  If a null character is received, it is assumed to be the result of the user pushing the ‘break’ (‘interrupt’) key.  The speed is then changed to 1200 baud and the ‘login:’ is typed again; a second ‘break’ changes the speed to 150 baud and the ‘login:’ is typed again.  Successive ‘break’ characters cycle through the speeds 300, 1200, and 150 baud. 

The user’s name is terminated by a new-line or carriage-return character.  The latter results in the system being set to treat carriage returns appropriately (see tty(4)).

The user’s name is scanned to see if it contains any lower-case alphabetic characters; if not, and if the name is nonempty, the system is told to map any future upper-case characters into the corresponding lower-case characters. 

Finally, login is called with the user’s name as argument. 

SEE ALSO

init(8), login(1), ioctl(2), tty(4), ttys(5), gettytab(5)

Sun Release 3.2  —  Last change: 28 October 1983