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

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

9       openvt [-c vtnumber] [OPTIONS] [--] command
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DESCRIPTION

12       openvt  will  find the first available VT, and run on it the given com‐
13       mand with the given command options, standard input, output  and  error
14       are  directed to that terminal. The current search path ($PATH) is used
15       to find the requested command. If no  command  is  specified  then  the
16       environment variable $SHELL is used.
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18   OPTIONS
19       -c, --console=VTNUMBER
20              Use  the  given  VT number and not the first available. Note you
21              must have write access to the supplied VT for this to work;
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23       -f, --force
24              Force opening a VT without checking whether  it  is  already  in
25              use;
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27       -e, --exec
28              Directly  execute  the  given  command,  without  forking.  This
29              option is meant for use in /etc/inittab;
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31       -s, --switch
32              Switch to the new VT when starting the command. The  VT  of  the
33              new command will be made the new current VT;
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35       -u, --user
36              Figure  out  the  owner of the current VT, and run login as that
37              user.  Suitable to be called by init. Shouldn't be used with  -c
38              or -l;
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40       -l, --login
41              Make  the command a login shell. A - is prepended to the name of
42              the command to be executed;
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44       -v, --verbose
45              Be a bit more verbose;
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47       -w, --wait
48              wait for command to complete. If -w and  -s  are  used  together
49              then  openvt  will  switch back to the controlling terminal when
50              the command completes;
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52       -V, --version
53              print program version and exit;
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55       -h, --help
56              show this text and exit.
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58       --     end of options to openvt.
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NOTE

61       If openvt is compiled with a getopt_long() and you wish to set  options
62       to  the  command  to be run, then you must supply the end of options --
63       flag before the command.
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EXAMPLES

66       openvt can be used to start a shell on the next free VT, by  using  the
67       command:
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69       openvt bash
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72       To start the shell as a login shell, use:
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74       openvt -l bash
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77       To get a long listing you must supply the -- separator:
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79       openvt -- ls -l
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HISTORY

84       Earlier,  openvt  was  called  open.   It  was  written  by  Jon  Tombs
85       <jon@gtex02.us.es or jon@robots.ox.ac.uk>.  The -w idea is from "sam".
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SEE ALSO

89       chvt(1), doshell(8), login(1)
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9319 Jul 1996                          V1.4                            OPENVT(1)
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