OPENVT(1)                   General Commands Manual                  OPENVT(1)

NAME
       openvt - start a program on a new virtual terminal (VT).

SYNOPSIS
       openvt [-c vtnumber] [OPTIONS] [--] command

DESCRIPTION
       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 openvt will 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

HISTORY
       Earlier, openvt was called open.  It was written by Jon Tombs
       <jon@gtex02.us.es> or <jon@robots.ox.ac.uk>.  The -w idea is from
       "sam".


SEE ALSO
       chvt(1), deallocvt(1), vlock(1), login(1)

kbd                             24 October 2024                      OPENVT(1)