gettytab(5)gettytab(5)Namegettytab - terminal configuration data base
Syntax
/etc/gettytab
Description
The file is a simplified version of the data base used to describe ter‐
minal lines. The initial terminal login process accesses the file each
time it starts, allowing simpler reconfiguration of terminal character‐
istics. Each entry in the data base is used to describe one class of
terminal.
There is a default terminal class, default, that is used to set global
defaults for all other classes. That is, the default entry is read,
and then the entry for the class required is used to override particu‐
lar settings.
Capabilities
Refer to for a description of the file layout. The default column
below lists defaults obtained if there is no entry in the table
obtained, nor one in the special default table.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Name Type Default Description
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ab bool false Auto-baud speed selection mechanism
ap bool false Terminal uses any parity
bd num 0 Backspace delay
bk str 0377 Alternate end of line character (input
break)
cb bool false Use crt backspace mode
cd num 0 Carriage-return delay
ce bool false Use crt erase algorithm
ck bool false Use crt kill algorithm
cl str NULL Screen clear sequence
co bool false Console - add \n after login prompt
ds str ^Y Delayed suspend character
ec bool false Leave echo 2OFF
ep bool false Terminal uses even parity
er str ^? Erase character
et str ^D End of text 2EOF character
ev str NULL Initial environment
f0 num unused Tty mode flags to write messages
f1 num unused Tty mode flags to read login name
f2 num unused Tty mode flags to leave terminal as
fd num 0 Form-feed (vertical motion) delay
fl str ^O Output flush character
hc bool false Do not hangup line on last close
he str NULL Hostname editing string
hn str hostname Hostname
ht bool false Terminal has real tabs
ig bool false Ignore garbage characters in login name
im str NULL Initial (banner) message
in str ^C Interrupt character
is num unused Input speed
kl str ^U Kill character
lc bool false Terminal has lower case
lm str login: Login prompt
ln str ^V ``literal next'' character
lo str /bin/login Program to exec when name obtained
nd num 0 Newline (line-feed) delay
nl bool false Terminal has (or might have) a newline
character
nx str default Next table (for auto speed selection)
op bool false Terminal uses odd parity
os num unused Output speed
p8 bool false Use 8-bit characters
pc str \0 Pad character
pd bool false Disable parity on output
pe bool false Use printer (hard copy) erase algorithm
pf num 0 Delay between first prompt and follow‐
ing flush (seconds)
ps bool false Line connected to a MICOM port selector
qu str ^\ Quit character
rp str ^R Line retype character
rw bool false Do not use raw for input, use cbreak
sp num unused Line speed (input and output)
su str ^Z Suspend character
tc str none Table continuation
to num 0 Timeout (seconds)
tt str NULL Terminal type (for environment)
ub bool false Do unbuffered output (of prompts and so
forth)
uc bool false Terminal is known upper-case only
we str ^W Word erase character
xc bool false Do not echo control chars as ^X
xf str ^S XOFF (stop output) character
xn str ^Q XON (start output) character
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
If no line speed is specified, speed will not be altered from that
which prevails when is entered. Specifying an input or output speed
will override line speed for stated direction only.
Terminal modes to be used for the output of the message, for input of
the login name, and to leave the terminal set as upon completion, are
derived from the Boolean flags specified. If the derivation should
prove inadequate, any (or all) of these three may be overridden with
one of the or numeric specifications, which can be used to specify
(usually in octal, with a leading 0) the exact values of the flags.
Local (new tty) flags are set in the top 16 bits of this (32-bit)
value.
Should receive a null character (presumed to indicate a line break), it
will restart using the table indicated by the entry. If there is none,
it will reuse its original table.
Delays are specified in milliseconds; the nearest possible delay avail‐
able in the tty driver will be used. Should greater certainty be
desired, delays with values 0, 1, 2, and 3 are interpreted as choosing
that particular delay algorithm from the driver.
The screen clear string may be preceded by a (decimal) number of mil‐
liseconds of delay required (a la termcap). This delay is simulated by
repeated use of the pad character
The initial message, and login message, and may include the character
sequence to obtain the host name, to obtain the terminal name, and to
obtain the date. (%% obtains a single percent (%) character.) The
host name is normally obtained from the system, but may be set by the
table entry. In either case, it can be edited with The string is a
sequence of characters; each character that is neither an at sign (@)
nor a number sign (#) is copied into the final host name. An at sign
(@) in the string causes one character from the real host name to be
copied to the final host name. A number sign (#) in the string causes
the next character of the real host name to be skipped. Surplus at
signs (@) and number signs (#) are ignored.
When executes the login process, given in the string (usually it will
have set the environment to include the terminal type, as indicated by
the string, if it exists. The string can be used to enter additional
data into the environment. It is a list of comma-separated strings,
each of which should be of the form name=value.
If a nonzero timeout is specified with then will exit within the indi‐
cated number of seconds, either having received a login name and passed
control to or having received an alarm signal, and exited. This may be
useful to hang up dial-in lines.
The flag allows use of 8-bit characters.
The flag turns off parity on output. Output from is even parity unless
the flag, the flag, or the flag is specified. The flag is used to
allow any parity on input. The flag may be specified with the flag to
allow any parity on input, but generate odd(even) parity on output.
The parity on output is accomplished by using the eighth bit as the
parity bit. does not check parity of input characters in RAW mode or
8-bit mode.
Terminals that are set up to operate in 8-bit mode should use entries
which include the flag. If a terminal that is set up in 8-bit mode
fails to use an appropriate entry, the output from and can appear as
multinational characters. This is due to the fact that uses the eighth
bit of characters to provide software generated parity. The software
parity generation will transform certain ASCII characters into multina‐
tional characters. Earlier releases of the ULTRIX operating system did
not display these multinational characters, due to the lack of full
8-bit support in the terminal subsystem.
Restrictions
Because some users insist on changing their default special characters,
it is wise to define at least the erase, kill, and interrupt characters
in the default table. In all cases, # or CTRL/H typed in a login name
will be treated as an erase character, and @ will be treated as a kill
character.
destroys the environment, so there is no point setting it in
See Alsotermcap(5), getty(8)gettytab(5)
