console(M)                    06 January 1993                     console(M)


 Name

    console - system console device

 Description

    The file /dev/console is the device used by the system administrator for
    system maintenance (single-user) operations.  It is the tty to which the
    first default shell is attached.

    The system console device can be either a terminal (a serial adapter de-
    vice, tty1a) or a system keyboard display adapter monitor (tty01).

    Many programs, such as the UNIX kernel, redirect error messages to
    /dev/console. Initially /dev/console is linked to /dev/systty.

 Files

    /dev/console

 See also

    boot(HW), screen(HW), systty(M) and tty(M).

 Notes

    Do not enable(C) or disable(C) /dev/console because this may corrupt the
    /etc/inittab file; instead, enable or disable the display adapter
    (tty01), or the serial adapter (tty?a) if the console is configured to be
    on a particular serial device.

    A serial console cannot be attached to a multiport card or one that uses
    special drivers; it must be on a standard COM1 card.