openvt

OPENVT(1)                          Linux 1.x                         OPENVT(1)



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

SYNOPSIS
       openvt [-c vtnumber] [-s] [-u] [-l] [-v] [--] command command_options

DESCRIPTION
       openvt  will  find the first available VT, and run on it the given com-
       mand 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 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.

       -s     Switch to the new VT when starting the command. The  VT  of  the
              new command will be made the new current VT.

       -u     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.

       -l     Make  the command a login shell. A - is prepended to the name of
              the command to be executed.

       -v     Be a bit more verbose.

       -w     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.

       --     end of options to openvt.

NOTE
       If openvt is compiled with a POSIX (GNU) getopt() and you wish  to  set
       options  to  the  command  to  be  run, then you must supply the end of
       options -- flag before the command.

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), doshell(8), login(1)



19 Jul 1996                          V1.4                            OPENVT(1)