Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!RICHTER.MIT.EDU!krowitz
From: krowitz@RICHTER.MIT.EDU (David Krowitz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re:  What is exactely /dev/console?
Message-ID: <9102041410.AA23683@richter.mit.edu>
Date: 4 Feb 91 14:10:06 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 24

From the comments at the top of the /etc/rc shell script:

#
# echo commands are parenthesized so that they will be run
# in a subprocess (echo is builtin to the shell).  Otherwise,
# the shell running this script (and all the programs started
# from it) would acquire /dev/console as their controlling tty.
#                        


If I remember correctly, the Apollo display manager is started by /etc/init
*after* "init" finishes executing the /etc/rc shell script (which, in turn,
runs /etc/rc.local and /etc/rc.user) when "init" reads the /etc/ttys files
and initializes the /dev/tty?? and /dev/console devices. I suspect that
either the DM or the XApollo server has /dev/console locked, depending on
whichever one owns the "root" display.


 -- David Krowitz

krowitz@richter.mit.edu   (18.83.0.109)
krowitz%richter.mit.edu@eddie.mit.edu
krowitz%richter.mit.edu@mitvma.bitnet
(in order of decreasing preference)