OPENVT(1)                          Linux 1.x                         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 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, --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.  If  you  want  to  use
              this  feature in another context, be aware that openvt has to be
              a session leader in order for -e to work.  See setsid(2) or set-
              sid(1) on how to achieve this.

       -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;

       -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.

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)
