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From: guy@gorodish.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: login(1) and /etc/ttys
Message-ID: <12789@sun.uucp>
Date: Thu, 5-Feb-87 17:39:54 EST
Article-I.D.: sun.12789
Posted: Thu Feb  5 17:39:54 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Feb-87 15:48:28 EST
References: <4234@brl-adm.ARPA>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: guy@sun.UUCP (Guy Harris)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 9

>Excuse me if this is obvious, but why is it that when there is no entry in
>"/etc/ttys" for the terminal device you are logging in to, no record is made
>of your login in "/etc/utmp"?

Because without an entry in "/etc/ttys", it has no way of knowing
where the record should be made.  Each tty port is assumed to have an
entry in "/etc/utmp" at a fixed location; that location is defined by
the position of that port's entry in "/etc/ttys".  No entry in
"/etc/ttys", no location, and hence no entry.