Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!rutgers!att!whuts!picuxa!tgr
From: tgr@picuxa.UUCP (Dr. Emilio Lizardo)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: VP/ix
Summary: VP/ix virtual terminal manager
Message-ID: <708@picuxa.UUCP>
Date: 27 Nov 88 17:59:07 GMT
References: <240@ssbn.WLK.COM> <144@ecicrl.UUCP> <6966@chinet.chi.il.us> <261@ssbn.WLK.COM>
Distribution: na
Organization: Planet 10, across the 8th Dimension
Lines: 31

In article <261@ssbn.WLK.COM>, bill@ssbn.WLK.COM (Bill Kennedy) writes:
> I think that Chris is wrong about AT&T UNIX, but I hope he isn't.  I have
> the gettydefs for virtual terminals but I can't get a getty to run on
> them.  I am able to use them under VP/ix out of DOS, but that's only after
> getting DOS going.
> 
> Is Chris correct?  Is there some way to get virtual terminals going on the
> console in AT&T 386 UNIX?  If so, please post or email, that's about my
> only real beef with the product.

In AT&T UNIX System V Release 3.2 there is a virtual terminal manager:
/usr/bin/vtlmgr.  When invokes, it execs itself into the background so that
init becomes its parent.  It allows the console user to access the virtual
terminals (/dev/vtnn) by pressing "<ctrl>-<sysreq>" followed by a function
key (on my system, there are seven vt devices, so only F1-F7 are active;
I don't know if it's possible to have more).

The vtlmgr will not execute on remote terminals. It also will not execute
itself twice (i.e., once it's running, further invocations will give an
error message about opening the vtmon device).  The process dies when it's
invoker dies (i.e, it's not a daemon).

The virtual terminal manager apparently does not exist in SVR3.1 for 386;
if it is there it's under a different name.


-- 
Tom Gillespie                   |AT&T/EDS Product Marketing Technical Center
UUCP: att!picuxa!tgr            |299 Jefferson Rd. Parsippany NJ 07054
ATTMAIL: tgillespie             |(201) 952-1178
"Don't take life so serious ... it ain't nohow permanent."  -- Walt Kelly