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TTYS(5)			      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.  This	infor-
       mation  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 unspecified 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 as-
       sociated	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 en-
       vironment 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	 main-
       tain  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,
       while  ``secure'' (if ``on'' is also specified) 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'' indicates	that a tty en-
       try provides a network connection.  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 command specified by the second field.

       The  string ``group='' may be followed by a group name comprised	of al-
       phanumeric 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	white-
       space 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/X11R6/bin/xterm -display :0"      xterm   on window="/usr/X11R6/bin/X :0"
       # Network pseudo	ttys --	don't enable getty
       ttyp0   none    network	       group=pty
       ttyp1   none    network off     group=pty

SEE ALSO
       login(1),   getttyent(3),   ttyslot(3),	 gettytab(5),	login.conf(5),
       termcap(5), getty(8), init(8)

HISTORY
       A ttys file appeared in Version 6 AT&T UNIX.

FreeBSD	6.0			 May 27, 2005			       TTYS(5)

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