openvt1
Start a program on a new virtual terminal (vt).
Usage
openvt [-c
vtnumber]
[OPTIONS]
[--]
command
Overview
openvt will find the first available VT, and run on it the given command with the given command options , standard input, output and error are directed to that terminal. The current search path ($PATH) is used to find the requested command. If no command is specified then the environment variable $SHELL is used.
Options
-
-c, --console=VTNUMBER -
Use the given VT number and not the first available. Note you must have write access to the supplied VT for this to work.
-
-f, --force -
Force opening a VT without checking whether it is already in use.
-
-e, --exec -
Directly execute the given command, without forking. This option is meant for use in /etc/inittab.
-
-s, --switch -
Switch to the new VT when starting the command. The VT of the new command will be made the new current VT.
-
-u, --user -
Figure out the owner of the current VT, and run login as that user. Suitable to be called by init. Shouldn't be used with -c or -l. This option refuses to pre-authenticate root and requires a process owned by the VT owner whose controlling terminal is the current VT.
-
-l, --login -
Make the command a login shell. A - is prepended to the name of the command to be executed.
-
-v, --verbose -
Be a bit more verbose.
-
-w, --wait -
wait for command to complete. If -w and -s are used together then
openvtwill switch back to the controlling terminal when the command completes.
-
-V, --version -
print program version and exit.
-
-h, --help -
show this text and exit.
-
-- -
end of options to
openvt.
Note
If openvt is compiled with a getopt_long() and you wish to set options to the command to be run, then you must supply the end of options -- flag before the command.
The -u option uses login -f and therefore bypasses normal password authentication for the detected user. It is intended only for controlled init or keyboard-request configurations. Use a normal authenticated login command when authentication is required.
Examples
openvt can be used to start a shell on the next free VT, by using the command:
- openvt bash
- To start the shell as a login shell, use:
- openvt -l bash
- To get a long listing you must supply the -- separator:
- openvt -- ls -l
Releases
14 releases since Debian 2.2 (Potato); the text changed 9 times.
--console since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--exec since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--force since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--help since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--login since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--switch since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--user since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--verbose since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--version since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
--wait since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
-V since Debian 7 (Wheezy);
-e since Debian 5.0 (Lenny);
-f since Debian 3.1 (Sarge);
-h since Debian 7 (Wheezy).