NAME

getty − set the modes of a terminal

SYNOPSIS

/etc/getty name type delay

DESCRIPTION

Getty is normally invoked by init(8) as the first step in allowing users to login to the system. Lines in /etc/inittab tell init to invoke getty with the proper arguments. 

Name should be the name of a terminal in /dev (e.g., tty03); type should be a single character chosen from −, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 (may vary locally) which selects a speed table in getty, or !, which tells getty to update /etc/utmp and exit; delay is relevant for dial-up ports only.  It specifies the time in seconds that should elapse before the port is disconnected if the user does not respond to the login: request. 

First, getty types the login: message.  The login: message depends on the speed table being used, and may include the characters that put the GE TermiNet 300 terminal into full-duplex, take the DASI terminals out of the plot mode, or put a TELETYPE® Model 37 into full-duplex.  Then the user’s login name is read, a character at a time. 

While reading, getty tries to adapt to the terminal, speed, and mode that is being used.  If a null character is received, it is assumed to be the result of a “break” (“interrupt”).  The speed is then changed based on the speed table that getty is using, and login: is typed again.  Subsequent breaks cause a cycling through the speeds in the speed table being used. 

The user’s login name is terminated by a new-line or carriage-return character.  The latter results in the system being set to treat carriage returns appropriately.  If the login name contains only upper-case alphabetic characters, the system is told to map any future upper-case characters into the corresponding lower-case characters. 

Finally, login(1) is called with the user’s login name as argument.

Speed sequences for the speed tables:

− B110;  for 110 baud console TTY. 

0 B300−B150−B110−B1200;  normal dial-up sequence starting at B300. 

1 B150;  no sequence. 

2 B2400;  no sequence. 

3 B1200−B300−B150−B110;  normal dial-up sequence starting at B1200. 

4 B300;  for console DECwriter. 

5 B9600;  no sequence. 

6 B4800−B9600;  for Tektronix 4014. 

SEE ALSO

login(1), tty(4), inittab(5), utmp(5), init(8). 

BUGS

Ideally, the speed tables would be read from a file, not compiled into getty.

May 16, 1980