NAME
rungetty - a minimal console getty that can run any process
SYNOPSIS
rungetty [--noclear] [--long-hostname] [-u username] [-g group] [-w
path] [-n priority] [--prompt [=string]] [-d n] [--autologin username]
tty [--] [command] [arguments]
DESCRIPTION
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.
OPTIONS
--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.
ARGUMENTS
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.
ISSUE ESCAPES
rungetty recognizes the following escapes 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).
EXAMPLE
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.
FILES
/etc/issue, /var/run/utmp, /var/log/autologin.
BUG REPORTS
Please send all bug reports to jake@nodomainname.net.
BUGS
There are no known bugs.
SEE ALSO
mingetty(8), mgetty(8).
AUTHOR
Copyright © 1999 Jakob Kaivo <jake@nodomainname.net>.
Jakob ’sparky’ Kaivo 04 February 1999