What is getty in linux

In Linux, "getty" is a command line terminal login program, which is used to open a virtual terminal device when the system starts and provides user login functions. Its functions are: 1. Used to connect to physical terminal devices , provides an interactive interface between the user and the system; 2. Displays the login prompt on the terminal and waits for the user to enter the user name and password; 3. Can open the virtual terminal device, allowing users to open multiple sessions on one system at the same time; 4. Support Multiple users log in to the system at the same time; 5. Provides a user authentication mechanism.

The operating system of this tutorial: Linux5.18.14 system, Dell G3 computer.

In Linux, getty (get tty) is a command line terminal login program, which is used to open a virtual terminal device when the system starts and provide user login functionality.

The function of getty is to monitor the specified terminal device (such as serial port, console) and wait for the user to enter the user name and password to log in. It displays a login prompt on the end device and waits for user input. Once the user enters the correct username and password, getty authenticates and starts an interactive session (shell), allowing the user to execute commands and operate the system.

Specifically, getty has the following functions in Linux systems:

1. Connecting terminals: getty is used to connect physical terminal devices (such as consoles, serial ports), providing The user-system interaction interface.

2. User login: getty displays a login prompt on the terminal and waits for the user to enter their username and password. Once authenticated, the user can access the system.

3. Virtual terminal: In addition to physical terminal devices, getty can also open virtual terminal devices (such as /dev/tty1, /dev/tty2), allowing users to open multiple terminal devices at the same time on one system. session.

4. Multi-user support: By starting multiple getty processes, multiple users can be supported to log in to the system at the same time, and each user has his or her own independent terminal.

5. Security: getty provides a user authentication mechanism to ensure that only authenticated users can log in to the system.

It should be noted that getty is only responsible for the user login process. Once the user successfully logs in, it will transfer control to other programs (such as shell). In modern Linux distributions, it is common to use systemd or a similar process manager to start and manage getty processes to provide more functionality and flexibility.

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