NAME

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

SYNOPSIS

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

DESCRIPTION

       openvt  will  find  the first available VT, and run on it the given command 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, --console=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
              Force opening a VT without checking whether it is already in use;

       -e, --exec
              Directly  execute the given command, without forking.  This option is meant for use
              in /etc/inittab.  If you want to use this feature in another context, be aware that
              openvt  has  to  be  a  session  leader  in order for -e to work.  See setsid(2) or
              setsid(1) on how to achieve this.

       -s, --switch
              Switch to the new VT when starting the command. The VT of the new command  will  be
              made the new current VT;

       -u, --user
              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, --login
              Make the command a login shell. A - is prepended to the name of the command  to  be
              executed;

       -v, --verbose
              Be a bit more verbose;

       -w, --wait
              wait  for  command  to  complete.  If  -w and -s are used together then openvt will
              switch back to the controlling terminal when the command completes;

       -V, --version
              print program version and exit;

       -h, --help
              show this text and exit.

       --     end of options to openvt.

NOTE

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

EXAMPLES

       openvt 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

       To get a long listing you must supply the -- separator:

       openvt -- ls -l

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 is from "sam".

SEE ALSO

       chvt(1), doshell(8), login(1)