OPENVT(1) Linux User's Manual OPENVT(1)NAMEopenvt - start a program on a new virtual terminal (VT).
SYNOPSISopenvt [-c vtnumber] [-f] [-s] [-u] [-l] [-v] [--] command com‐
mand_options
DESCRIPTIONopenvt 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.
-f Force opening a VT: don't try to check if a VT is already in
use.
-s Switch to the new VT when starting the command. The VT of the
new command will be made the new current VT.
-b Switch back to the controlling terminal when the command com‐
pletes. This is useful only with -w option.
-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.
-- end of options to openvt.
EXAMPLESopenvt 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
SEE ALSOchvt(1), login(1).
AUTHOR
Jon Tombs <jon@gtex02.us.es or jon@robots.ox.ac.uk>
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 from "sam".
Console tools 19 Jul 1996 OPENVT(1)