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   6 .TH VT 7I "Sep 22, 2008"
   7 .SH NAME
   8 vt \- Solaris virtual console interface
   9 .SH SYNOPSIS
  10 .LP
  11 .nf
  12 \fB#include <sys/kd.h> \fR
  13 .fi
  14 
  15 .LP
  16 .nf
  17 \fB#include <sys/vt.h> \fR
  18 .fi
  19 
  20 .SH DESCRIPTION
  21 .sp
  22 .LP
  23 The virtual console device driver \(em also known as virtual terminal
  24 (\fBVT\fR) \(em is a layer of management functions that provides facilities to
  25 support and switch between multiple screen faces on a single physical device.
  26 .sp
  27 .LP
  28 VT's are accessed in the same way as other devices. The \fBopen\fR(2) system
  29 call is used to open the virtual console and \fBread\fR(2), \fBwrite\fR(2) and
  30 \fBioctl\fR(2) are used in the normal way and support the functionality of the
  31 underlying device.  In addition, some virtual console-specific ioctls are
  32 provided and described below.
  33 .sp
  34 .LP
  35 The VT provides a link between different screen faces and the device. The
  36 \fBactive virtual console\fR corresponds to the currently visible screen face.
  37 Device input is directed to the active console and any device-specific modes
  38 that change on a per virtual terminal basis are set to the characteristics
  39 associated with the active console.
  40 .sp
  41 .LP
  42 You manage VT's by intercepting keyboard sequences ("hot key"). To maintain
  43 consistency with Xserver, the virtual console device driver supports the Ctrl,
  44 Alt, F# and arrow keys.
  45 .sp
  46 .LP
  47 The sequence \fBAltL + F#\fR (where AltL represents the Alt key and F#
  48 represents function keys 1 through 12) is used to select virtual console 1-12.
  49 The sequence \fBAltGraph + F#\fR (where AltGraph represents the right Alt key
  50 and F# represent function keys 1 through 12) is for virtual console 13-24.
  51 \fBAlt + F1\fR chooses the system console (also known as virtual console 1).
  52 The sequence \fBAlt + ->\fR (where ">" represents the right directional arrow)
  53 selects the next  VT in a circular ring fashion and  \fBAlt + <-\fR ( where "<"
  54 represents the left directional arrow) changes to the previous console in a
  55 circular  fashion. The sequence \fBAlt + ^\fR (where "^" represents the up
  56 directional arrow) is for the last used console.
  57 .sp
  58 .LP
  59 Virtual console switching can be done automatically (\fBVT_AUTO\fR) on receipt
  60 of a ``hot-key'' or by the process owning the VT (\fBVT_PROCESS\fR). When
  61 performed automatically, the process associated with the virtual console is
  62 unaware of the switch. Saving and restoring the device are handled by the
  63 underlying device driver and the virtual console manager.  Note that automatic
  64 switching is the default mode.
  65 .sp
  66 .LP
  67 When a ``hot-key'' is sent when in process-controlled switch mode, the process
  68 owning the VT is sent a signal (relsig) it has specified to the virtual console
  69 manager (see \fBsignal\fR(3C)) requesting the process to release the physical
  70 device. At this point, the virtual console manager awaits the \fBVT_RELDISP\fR
  71 ioctl from the process. If the process refuses to release the device (meaning
  72 the switch does not occur), it performs a \fBVT_RELDISP\fR ioctl with an
  73 argument of 0 (zero).  If the process desires to release the device, it saves
  74 the device state (keyboard, display, and I/O registers) and then performs a
  75 \fBVT_RELDISP\fR with an argument of 1 to complete the switch.
  76 .sp
  77 .LP
  78 A ring of VT's can contain intermixed auto mode and process control mode
  79 consoles.  When an auto mode process becomes active, the underlying device
  80 driver and the virtual console manager handle the restoring of the device.
  81 Process control mode processes are sent a specified signal (acqsig) when they
  82 become the active console.  The process then restores the device state
  83 (keyboard, display, and I/O registers) and performs \fBVT_RELDISP\fR ioctl with
  84 an argument of \fBVT_ACKACQ\fR to complete the switching protocol.
  85 .sp
  86 .LP
  87 The modify-operations ioctls (\fBVT_SETMODE\fR, \fBVT_RELDISP\fR,
  88 \fBVT_WAITACTIVE\fR, \fBKDSETMODE\fR) check if the VT is the controlling tty of
  89 the calling process. If not, the sys_devices privilege is enforced.
  90 \fBVT_ACTIVATE\fR requires the sys_devices privilege. Note that there is no
  91 controlling tty and privilege check for query/view operations.
  92 .SH IOCTLS
  93 .sp
  94 .LP
  95 The following ioctls apply to devices that support virtual consoles:
  96 .sp
  97 .ne 2
  98 .na
  99 \fB\fBVT_ENABLED\fR\fR
 100 .ad
 101 .sp .6
 102 .RS 4n
 103 Queries to determine if VT functionality is available on the system. The
 104 argument is a pointer to an integer. If VT functionality is available, the
 105 integer is 1, otherwise it is 0.
 106 .RE
 107 
 108 .sp
 109 .ne 2
 110 .na
 111 \fB\fBVT_OPENQRY\fR\fR
 112 .ad
 113 .sp .6
 114 .RS 4n
 115 Finds an available VT. The argument is a pointer to an integer. The integer is
 116 filled in with the number of the first available console that no other process
 117 has open (and hence, is available to be opened).  If there are no available
 118 VT's, -1 is filled in.
 119 .RE
 120 
 121 .sp
 122 .ne 2
 123 .na
 124 \fB\fBVT_GETMODE\fR\fR
 125 .ad
 126 .sp .6
 127 .RS 4n
 128 Determines the VT's current mode, either \fBVT_AUTO\fR or \fBVT_PROCESS\fR. The
 129 argument is the address of the following structure, as defined in
 130 <\fBsys/vt.h\fR>
 131 .sp
 132 .in +2
 133 .nf
 134 struct vt_mode {
 135               char mode;  /* VT mode */
 136               char waitv; /* not used */
 137               short relsig;/* signal to use for release request */
 138               short acqsig;/* signal to use for display acquired */
 139               short frsig;/* not used */
 140             }
 141 
 142             /* Virtual console Modes */
 143             #define     VT_AUTO         0 /* automatic VT switching     */
 144             #define     VT_PROCESS      1 /* process controls switching */
 145 
 146 
 147             The structure will be filled in with the current value
 148             for each field.
 149 .fi
 150 .in -2
 151 
 152 .RE
 153 
 154 .sp
 155 .ne 2
 156 .na
 157 \fB\fBVT_SETMODE\fR\fR
 158 .ad
 159 .sp .6
 160 .RS 4n
 161 Sets the VT mode. The argument is a pointer to a vt_mode structure as defined
 162 above. The structure should be filled in with the desired mode.  If
 163 process-control mode is specified, the signals used to communicate with the
 164 process should be specified.  If any signals are not specified (value is zero),
 165 the signal default is \fBSIGUSR1\fR (for relsig and acqsig).
 166 .RE
 167 
 168 .sp
 169 .ne 2
 170 .na
 171 \fB\fBVT_RELDISP\fR\fR
 172 .ad
 173 .sp .6
 174 .RS 4n
 175 Tells the VT manager if the process releases (or refuses to release) the
 176 display. An argument of 1 indicates the VT is released. An argument of 0
 177 indicates refusal to release. The \fBVT_ACKACQ\fR argument indicates if
 178 acquisition of the VT has been completed.
 179 .RE
 180 
 181 .sp
 182 .ne 2
 183 .na
 184 \fB\fBVT_ACTIVATE\fR\fR
 185 .ad
 186 .sp .6
 187 .RS 4n
 188 Makes the VT specified in the argument the active VT (in the same manner as if
 189 a hotkey initiated the switch).  If the specified VT is not open or does not
 190 exist, the call fails and errno is set to \fBENXIO\fR.
 191 .RE
 192 
 193 .sp
 194 .ne 2
 195 .na
 196 \fB\fBVT_WAITACTIVE\fR\fR
 197 .ad
 198 .sp .6
 199 .RS 4n
 200 If the specified VT is currently active, this call returns immediately.
 201 Otherwise, it sleeps until the specified VT becomes active, at which point it
 202 returns.
 203 .RE
 204 
 205 .sp
 206 .ne 2
 207 .na
 208 \fB\fBVT_GETSTATE\fR\fR
 209 .ad
 210 .sp .6
 211 .RS 4n
 212 Obtains the active VT number and a list of open VTs. The argument is an address
 213 to the following structure:
 214 .sp
 215 .in +2
 216 .nf
 217 struct vt_stat {
 218             unsigned short      v_active, /* number of the active VT */
 219                         v_signal, /* not used */
 220                         v_state;  /* count of open VTs.  For every 1 in this
 221                                      field, there is an open VT */
 222             }
 223 .fi
 224 .in -2
 225 
 226 With \fBVT_GETSTATE\fR, the VT manager first gets the number of the active VT,
 227 then determines the number of open VTs in the system and sets a 1 for each open
 228 VT in v_state. Next, the VT manager transfers the information in structure
 229 \fBvt_stat\fR passed by the user process.
 230 .RE
 231 
 232 .sp
 233 .ne 2
 234 .na
 235 \fB\fBKDGETMODE\fR\fR
 236 .ad
 237 .sp .6
 238 .RS 4n
 239 Obtains the text/graphics mode associated with the VT.
 240 .sp
 241 .in +2
 242 .nf
 243             #define KD_TEXT         0
 244             #define KD_GRAPHICS     1
 245 .fi
 246 .in -2
 247 
 248 .RE
 249 
 250 .sp
 251 .ne 2
 252 .na
 253 \fB\fBKDSETMODE\fR\fR
 254 .ad
 255 .sp .6
 256 .RS 4n
 257 Sets the text/graphics mode to the VT.
 258 .sp
 259 \fBKD_TEXT\fR indicates that console text is displayed on the screen. Normally
 260 \fBKD_TEXT\fR is combined with \fBVT_AUTO\fR mode for text console terminals,
 261 so that the console text display automatically is saved and restored on the hot
 262 key screen switches.
 263 .sp
 264 \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR indicates that the user/application (usually Xserver) has
 265 direct control of the display for this VT in graphics mode. Normally
 266 \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR is combined with \fBVT_PROCESS\fR mode for this VT indicating
 267 direct control of the display in graphics mode. In this mode, all writes to the
 268 VT using the write system call are ignored, and you must save and restore the
 269 display on the hot key screen switches.
 270 .sp
 271 When the mode of the active VT is changed from \fBKD_TEXT\fR to
 272 \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR or a VT of \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR mode is made active from a
 273 previous active VT of \fBKD_TEXT\fR mode, the virtual console manager initiates
 274 a \fBKDSETMODE\fR ioctl with \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR as the argument to the
 275 underlying console frame buffer device indicating that current display is
 276 running into graphics mode.
 277 .sp
 278 When the mode of the active VT is changed from \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR to
 279 \fBKD_TEXT\fR or a VT of \fBKD_TEXT\fR mode is actived from a previous active
 280 VT of \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR mode, the virtual console manager initiates a
 281 \fBKDSETMODE\fR ioctl with \fBKD_TEXT\fR as the argument to the underlying
 282 console frame buffer device indicating that current display is running into
 283 console text mode.
 284 .RE
 285 
 286 .SH FILES
 287 .sp
 288 .ne 2
 289 .na
 290 \fB\fB/dev/vt/#\fR \fR
 291 .ad
 292 .RS 14n
 293 VT devices.
 294 .RE
 295 
 296 .SH SEE ALSO
 297 .sp
 298 .LP
 299 \fBioctl\fR(2), \fBsignal\fR(3C), \fBwscons\fR(7D)
 300 .SH NOTES
 301 .sp
 302 .LP
 303 By default, there are only five virtual console instance login prompts running
 304 on \fB/dev/vt/#\fR (where "#" represents 2 to 6) in addition to the system
 305 console running on \fB/dev/console\fR. Normally Xorg uses the seventh virtual
 306 console (\fB/dev/vt/7\fR.) To switch from consoles to Xserver (which normally
 307 picks up the first available virtual console), use [ Ctrl + ] Alt + F7 .
 308 .sp
 309 .in +2
 310 .nf
 311        # svcs  | grep login
 312        online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:default
 313        online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt2
 314        online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt3
 315        online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt4
 316        online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt5
 317        online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt6
 318 
 319        console-login:default is for the system console, others for
 320        virtual consoles.
 321 
 322        You can modify properties/disable/enable and remove/add
 323        virtual consoles using smf(5):
 324 
 325        # svccfg -s console-login add vt8
 326        # svccfg -s console-login:vt8 setprop ttymon/device=astring: "/dev/vt/8"
 327        # svcadm enable console-login:vt8
 328 .fi
 329 .in -2
 330