OPENVT(1)              Linux User's Manual              OPENVT(1)

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

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

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 vtnumber
              Use  the  given  VT number and not the first avail-
              able. Note you must have write access to  the  sup-
              plied 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 con-
              trolling 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

SEE ALSO
       chvt(1), doshell(8), login(1).

AUTHOR
       Jon Tombs <jon@gtex02.us.es or jon@robots.ox.ac.uk>
       -w idea from "sam".

Console tools              19 Jul 1996                          1