tty(M)                          19 June 1992                          tty(M)


 Name

    tty - special terminal interface

 Description

    The file /dev/tty is, in each process, a synonym for the control terminal
    associated with the process group of that process, if any.  It is useful
    for programs or shell sequences that wish to be sure of writing messages
    on the terminal no matter how output has been redirected.  It can also be
    used for programs that demand the name of a file for output, when typed
    output is desired, and when it is tiresome to find out what terminal is
    currently in use.

    The general terminal interface is described in termio(M).

 Files

    /dev/tty
    /dev/tty*

 See also

    termio(M)

 Standards conformance

    tty is conformant with:

    AT&T SVID Issue 2;
    and X/Open Portability Guide, Issue 3, 1989.