rungetty - a minimal console getty that can run any process
rungetty [--noclear] [--long-hostname] [-u username]
[-g group] [-w path] [-n priority] [--prompt [=string]]
[-d n] [--autologin username] tty [--] [command]
[arguments]
rungetty is a getty for use on virtual consoles which has
the ability to run any program, not just login(1). Like
mingetty(8), on which rungetty is based, rungetty isn't
suitable for serial use. Both I and the author of mingetty(8)
recommend mgetty(8) for that. It is useful, though, for keeping
programs such as, say, telnet(1), running at all times. When running
a program other than login, it is executed as the user and group
nobody, or the user specified by username and group specified
by group.
- --noclear
- Do not clear the screen before prompting for the login name (the screen is
normally cleared).
- --long-hostname
- By default the hostname is only printed until the first dot. With this
option enabled, the full text from gethostname() is shown.
- -u username
- By default, rungetty runs programs as nobody. With this option, it runs as
the user username.
- -g group
- By default, rungetty runs as the group nobody. This option allows you to
tell rungetty to run programs as the group group.
- --prompt
[=string]
- This option causes rungetty to wait until user input (usually an 'Enter')
before executing the program. If string is specified, it will be
displayed. Otherwise, a default prompt will be shown.
- -n n
- ´nice´ value of specified program.
- -w path
- Working directory of specified program.
- -d n
- Specifying -d will make rungetty wait n seconds before running the
specified program.
- --autologin
username
- Log the specified user onto the console (normally /dev/tty1) when
the system is first booted without prompting for a username or
password.
- When the autologin option is supplied, rungetty will check that the
controlling terminal is the console (normally /dev/tty1), that a
reasonable username has been supplied, and that this is the first
autologin request since the system has booted. If all of these conditions
have been met, a request for an unauthenticated login is passed to the
login program. Otherwise, a normal interactive login is
performed.
- The login program may deny the request for an unauthenticated
login. Typically this will happen when the user is root, has a UID of 0,
or whenever a normal interactive login would be denied due to the access
restrictions specified in the nologin, usertty, or
securetty files.
- Only a single autologin request will be issued after a system boot. If the
automated login request is denied, or if the user logs out,
rungetty will revert to performing normal interactive logins for
all subsequent login requests.
- --
- Tells rungetty that there are no more options to parse, useful for
passing arguments with a - in them to the external program.
- tty
- Name of the tty to run on.
- command
- Runs specified command. Searches for command in /bin,
/usr/bin, /usr/ucb, /usr/local/bin if the complete
pathname and filename are not given.
- [arguments]
- Command line arguments to pass to command.
rungetty recognizes the following escape sequences which
might be embedded in the /etc/issue file:
- \d
- insert current day (localtime),
- \l
- insert line on which rungetty is running,
- \m
- inserts machine architecture (uname -m),
- \n
- inserts machine's network node hostname (uname -n),
- \o
- inserts domain name,
- \r
- inserts operating system release (uname -r),
- \t
- insert current time (localtime),
- \s
- inserts operating system name,
- \u resp. \U
- the current number of users which are currently logged in. \U inserts
"n users", where as \u only inserts
"n".
- \v
- inserts operating system version (uname -v).
In /etc/inittab, these lines:
r1:12345:respawn:/sbin/rungetty tty1
r2:2345:respawn:/sbin/rungetty tty2 telnet mail.foo.com
r3:2345:respawn:/sbin/rungetty tty3 -u support top
r4:2345:respawn:/sbin/rungetty tty4 -n 20 -w /etc rc5des
Would run a local login on /dev/tty1,a telnet(1) session
to mail.foo.com on /dev/tty2,and top(5)on
/dev/tty3. Note that telnet(1) is run as user nobody,
while top(5) is run as user support, and start the program
rc5des(5) at the lowest priority level with a current directory of
/etc.
/etc/issue, /var/run/utmp,
/var/log/autologin.
Please send all bug reports to jake@nodomainname.net.
Copyright © 1999 Jakob Kaivo
<jake@nodomainname.net>.