'\" te
.\" Copyright (c) 2008 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.
.\" The contents of this file are subject to the terms of the Common Development and Distribution License (the "License").  You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
.\" You can obtain a copy of the license at usr/src/OPENSOLARIS.LICENSE or http://www.opensolaris.org/os/licensing.  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License.
.\" When distributing Covered Code, include this CDDL HEADER in each file and include the License file at usr/src/OPENSOLARIS.LICENSE.  If applicable, add the following below this CDDL HEADER, with the fields enclosed by brackets "[]" replaced with your own identifying information: Portions Copyright [yyyy] [name of copyright owner]
.TH VT 7I "Sep 22, 2008"
.SH NAME
vt \- Solaris virtual console interface
.SH SYNOPSIS
.LP
.nf
\fB#include <sys/kd.h> \fR
.fi

.LP
.nf
\fB#include <sys/vt.h> \fR
.fi

.SH DESCRIPTION
.sp
.LP
The virtual console device driver \(em also known as virtual terminal
(\fBVT\fR) \(em is a layer of management functions that provides facilities to
support and switch between multiple screen faces on a single physical device.
.sp
.LP
VT's are accessed in the same way as other devices. The \fBopen\fR(2) system
call is used to open the virtual console and \fBread\fR(2), \fBwrite\fR(2) and
\fBioctl\fR(2) are used in the normal way and support the functionality of the
underlying device.  In addition, some virtual console-specific ioctls are
provided and described below.
.sp
.LP
The VT provides a link between different screen faces and the device. The
\fBactive virtual console\fR corresponds to the currently visible screen face.
Device input is directed to the active console and any device-specific modes
that change on a per virtual terminal basis are set to the characteristics
associated with the active console.
.sp
.LP
You manage VT's by intercepting keyboard sequences ("hot key"). To maintain
consistency with Xserver, the virtual console device driver supports the Ctrl,
Alt, F# and arrow keys.
.sp
.LP
The sequence \fBAltL + F#\fR (where AltL represents the Alt key and F#
represents function keys 1 through 12) is used to select virtual console 1-12.
The sequence \fBAltGraph + F#\fR (where AltGraph represents the right Alt key
and F# represent function keys 1 through 12) is for virtual console 13-24.
\fBAlt + F1\fR chooses the system console (also known as virtual console 1).
The sequence \fBAlt + ->\fR (where ">" represents the right directional arrow)
selects the next  VT in a circular ring fashion and  \fBAlt + <-\fR ( where "<"
represents the left directional arrow) changes to the previous console in a
circular  fashion. The sequence \fBAlt + ^\fR (where "^" represents the up
directional arrow) is for the last used console.
.sp
.LP
Virtual console switching can be done automatically (\fBVT_AUTO\fR) on receipt
of a ``hot-key'' or by the process owning the VT (\fBVT_PROCESS\fR). When
performed automatically, the process associated with the virtual console is
unaware of the switch. Saving and restoring the device are handled by the
underlying device driver and the virtual console manager.  Note that automatic
switching is the default mode.
.sp
.LP
When a ``hot-key'' is sent when in process-controlled switch mode, the process
owning the VT is sent a signal (relsig) it has specified to the virtual console
manager (see \fBsignal\fR(3C)) requesting the process to release the physical
device. At this point, the virtual console manager awaits the \fBVT_RELDISP\fR
ioctl from the process. If the process refuses to release the device (meaning
the switch does not occur), it performs a \fBVT_RELDISP\fR ioctl with an
argument of 0 (zero).  If the process desires to release the device, it saves
the device state (keyboard, display, and I/O registers) and then performs a
\fBVT_RELDISP\fR with an argument of 1 to complete the switch.
.sp
.LP
A ring of VT's can contain intermixed auto mode and process control mode
consoles.  When an auto mode process becomes active, the underlying device
driver and the virtual console manager handle the restoring of the device.
Process control mode processes are sent a specified signal (acqsig) when they
become the active console.  The process then restores the device state
(keyboard, display, and I/O registers) and performs \fBVT_RELDISP\fR ioctl with
an argument of \fBVT_ACKACQ\fR to complete the switching protocol.
.sp
.LP
The modify-operations ioctls (\fBVT_SETMODE\fR, \fBVT_RELDISP\fR,
\fBVT_WAITACTIVE\fR, \fBKDSETMODE\fR) check if the VT is the controlling tty of
the calling process. If not, the sys_devices privilege is enforced.
\fBVT_ACTIVATE\fR requires the sys_devices privilege. Note that there is no
controlling tty and privilege check for query/view operations.
.SH IOCTLS
.sp
.LP
The following ioctls apply to devices that support virtual consoles:
.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_ENABLED\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Queries to determine if VT functionality is available on the system. The
argument is a pointer to an integer. If VT functionality is available, the
integer is 1, otherwise it is 0.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_OPENQRY\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Finds an available VT. The argument is a pointer to an integer. The integer is
filled in with the number of the first available console that no other process
has open (and hence, is available to be opened).  If there are no available
VT's, -1 is filled in.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_GETMODE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Determines the VT's current mode, either \fBVT_AUTO\fR or \fBVT_PROCESS\fR. The
argument is the address of the following structure, as defined in
<\fBsys/vt.h\fR>
.sp
.in +2
.nf
struct vt_mode {
	      char mode;  /* VT	mode */
	      char waitv; /* not used */
	      short relsig;/* signal to use for release request */
	      short acqsig;/* signal to use for display acquired */
	      short frsig;/* not used */
	    }

	    /* Virtual console Modes */
	    #define	VT_AUTO		0 /* automatic VT switching	*/
	    #define	VT_PROCESS 	1 /* process controls switching */


	    The structure will be filled in with the current value
	    for each field.
.fi
.in -2

.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_SETMODE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Sets the VT mode. The argument is a pointer to a vt_mode structure as defined
above. The structure should be filled in with the desired mode.  If
process-control mode is specified, the signals used to communicate with the
process should be specified.  If any signals are not specified (value is zero),
the signal default is \fBSIGUSR1\fR (for relsig and acqsig).
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_RELDISP\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Tells the VT manager if the process releases (or refuses to release) the
display. An argument of 1 indicates the VT is released. An argument of 0
indicates refusal to release. The \fBVT_ACKACQ\fR argument indicates if
acquisition of the VT has been completed.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_ACTIVATE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Makes the VT specified in the argument the active VT (in the same manner as if
a hotkey initiated the switch).  If the specified VT is not open or does not
exist, the call fails and errno is set to \fBENXIO\fR.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_WAITACTIVE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
If the specified VT is currently active, this call returns immediately.
Otherwise, it sleeps until the specified VT becomes active, at which point it
returns.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBVT_GETSTATE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Obtains the active VT number and a list of open VTs. The argument is an address
to the following structure:
.sp
.in +2
.nf
struct vt_stat {
	    unsigned short	v_active, /* number of the active VT */
	              	v_signal, /* not used */
	              	v_state;  /* count of open VTs.  For every 1 in this
	                             field, there is an open VT */
	    }
.fi
.in -2

With \fBVT_GETSTATE\fR, the VT manager first gets the number of the active VT,
then determines the number of open VTs in the system and sets a 1 for each open
VT in v_state. Next, the VT manager transfers the information in structure
\fBvt_stat\fR passed by the user process.
.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBKDGETMODE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Obtains the text/graphics mode associated with the VT.
.sp
.in +2
.nf
            #define KD_TEXT         0
            #define KD_GRAPHICS     1
.fi
.in -2

.RE

.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fBKDSETMODE\fR\fR
.ad
.sp .6
.RS 4n
Sets the text/graphics mode to the VT.
.sp
\fBKD_TEXT\fR indicates that console text is displayed on the screen. Normally
\fBKD_TEXT\fR is combined with \fBVT_AUTO\fR mode for text console terminals,
so that the console text display automatically is saved and restored on the hot
key screen switches.
.sp
\fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR indicates that the user/application (usually Xserver) has
direct control of the display for this VT in graphics mode. Normally
\fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR is combined with \fBVT_PROCESS\fR mode for this VT indicating
direct control of the display in graphics mode. In this mode, all writes to the
VT using the write system call are ignored, and you must save and restore the
display on the hot key screen switches.
.sp
When the mode of the active VT is changed from \fBKD_TEXT\fR to
\fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR or a VT of \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR mode is made active from a
previous active VT of \fBKD_TEXT\fR mode, the virtual console manager initiates
a \fBKDSETMODE\fR ioctl with \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR as the argument to the
underlying console frame buffer device indicating that current display is
running into graphics mode.
.sp
When the mode of the active VT is changed from \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR to
\fBKD_TEXT\fR or a VT of \fBKD_TEXT\fR mode is actived from a previous active
VT of \fBKD_GRAPHICS\fR mode, the virtual console manager initiates a
\fBKDSETMODE\fR ioctl with \fBKD_TEXT\fR as the argument to the underlying
console frame buffer device indicating that current display is running into
console text mode.
.RE

.SH FILES
.sp
.ne 2
.na
\fB\fB/dev/vt/#\fR \fR
.ad
.RS 14n
VT devices.
.RE

.SH SEE ALSO
.sp
.LP
\fBioctl\fR(2), \fBsignal\fR(3C), \fBwscons\fR(7D)
.SH NOTES
.sp
.LP
By default, there are only five virtual console instance login prompts running
on \fB/dev/vt/#\fR (where "#" represents 2 to 6) in addition to the system
console running on \fB/dev/console\fR. Normally Xorg uses the seventh virtual
console (\fB/dev/vt/7\fR.) To switch from consoles to Xserver (which normally
picks up the first available virtual console), use [ Ctrl + ] Alt + F7 .
.sp
.in +2
.nf
       # svcs  | grep login
       online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:default
       online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt2
       online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt3
       online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt4
       online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt5
       online         17:49:11 svc:/system/console-login:vt6

       console-login:default is for the system console, others for
       virtual consoles.

       You can modify properties/disable/enable and remove/add
       virtual consoles using smf(5):

       # svccfg -s console-login add vt8
       # svccfg -s console-login:vt8 setprop ttymon/device=astring: "/dev/vt/8"
       # svcadm enable console-login:vt8
.fi
.in -2