NAME

ttytab, ttys − terminal initialization data

DESCRIPTION

The /etc/ttytab file contains information that is used by various routines to initialize and control the use of terminal special files. This information is read with the getttyent(3) library routines.  There is one line in /etc/ttytab file per special file. 

The /etc/ttys file should not be edited; it is derived from /etc/ttytab by init(8) at boot time, and is only included for backward compatibility with programs that may still require it. 

Fields are separated by TAB and/or SPACE characters.  Some fields may contain more than one word and should be enclosed in double quotes.  Blank lines and comments can appear anywhere in the file; comments are delimited by ‘#’ and NEWLINE.  Unspecified fields default to NULL.  The first field is the terminal’s entry in the device directory, /dev.  The second field of the file is the command to execute for the line, typically getty(8), which performs such tasks as baud-rate recognition, reading the login name, and calling login(1).  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 normally connected to that tty line, as found in the termcap(5) data base file.  The remaining fields set flags in the ty_status entry (see getttyent(3)) or specify a window system process that init(8) will maintain for the terminal line. 

As flag values, the strings on and off specify whether init should execute the command given in the second field, while secure in addition to on allows “root” to login on this line.  If the console is not marked “secure,” the system prompts for the root password before coming up in single-user mode.  These flag fields should not be quoted.  The string window= is followed by a quoted command string which init will execute before starting getty.  If the line ends in a comment, the comment is included in the ty_comment field of the ttyent structure. 

EXAMPLE

console"/usr/etc/getty std.1200" vt100 on secure
ttyd0"/usr/etc/getty d1200"dialupon# 555-1234
ttyh0"/usr/etc/getty std.9600"hp2621-nl on # 254MC
ttyh1"/usr/etc/getty std.9600"plugboard on # John’s office
ttyp0nonenetwork
ttyp1nonenetworkoff
ttyv0"/usr/new/xterm -L :0"vs100on window="/usr/new/Xvs100 0"

The first line permits “root” login on the console at 1200 baud, and indicates that the console is secure for single-user operation.  The second example allows dialup at 1200 baud without “root” login, and the third and fourth examples allow login at 9600 baud with terminal types of hp2621-nl and plugboard, respectively.  The fifth and sixth lines are examples of network pseudo-ttys, for which getty should not be enabled.  The last line shows a terminal emulator and window-system startup entry. 

FILES

/dev

/etc/ttytab

SEE ALSO

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

Sun Release 4.0  —  Last change: 22 December 1987