SETCONSOLE(8)                                       SETCONSOLE(8)

NAME
       setconsole  -  sets  the systems console to local video or
       serial console

SYNOPSIS
       setconsole <video|serial|ttya|ttyb|cua0|cua1|ttyS0|ttyS1>

DESCRIPTION
       setconsole  sets   up   /etc/inittab,   /dev/systty,   and
       /dev/console  for a new console. The console may be either
       the local terminal (directly attached to the system via  a
       video card) or a serial console.

OPTIONS
       video  Use the local video card for the console.

       serial Use  the  PROMs console (determined via /proc/open-
              prom) as the system console.

       ttya cua0 ttyS0
              Use the first serial device. The speed  is  set  to
              the default seed for ttya as set in the PROM.

       ttyb cua1 ttyS1
              Use  the  first  serial device. The speed is set to
              the default seed for ttya as set in the PROM.

FILES
       /dev/openprom       System interface to boot PROM.

                           /dev/systty /dev/console Point to  the
                           device used for the system console.

       /etc/inittab        Controls  where  gettys are run on the
                           system.

       /etc/securetty      If this file exists and a serial  ter-
                           minal  is  being made the console, the
                           name  of  the   serial   terminal   is
                           appended  to  this file (if necessary)
                           to allow root logins on the  new  con-
                           sole.

SEE ALSO
       init(8), inittab(5), getty(8)

BUGS
       There  are  probably  many  --  this  is  some pretty ugly
       /bin/sh  code.   Switching  from  one  serial  console  to
       another  will  probably  result in Switching from video to
       serial   and   back   a   corrupt   /etc/inittab.    While
       /etc/securetty  is  correctly  updated when switching to a
       serial console, the serial device  entry  is  not  removed
       when  switching  back  to a physical terminal (in case the
       user hand  edited  the  file)  and  the  virtual  terminal
       devices  are  not  added into the file.  again should work
       fine however. Patches are very welcome (as is  a  complete
       rewrite).

AUTHOR
       Erik Troan <ewt@redhat.com>

                          Fri Mar 7 1997                        1