A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer
user interface. It is a feature of some
Unix-like operating systems such as
Linux,
BSD
The Berkeley Software Distribution or Berkeley Standard Distribution (BSD) is a discontinued operating system based on Research Unix, developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of California, Berk ...
,
illumos,
UnixWare, and
macOS in which the
system console of the computer can be used to switch between multiple virtual consoles to access unrelated user interfaces. Virtual consoles date back at least to
Xenix
United States Patent 4945468 lists Xenix as prior art in this area. and
Concurrent CP/M in the 1980s.
In the
Linux console and other platforms, usually the first six virtual consoles provide a
text terminal with a
login prompt
In computer security, logging in (or logging on, signing in, or signing on) is the process by which an individual gains access to a computer system by identifying and authenticating themselves. The user credentials are typically some form ...
to a
Unix shell. The graphical
X Window System traditionally starts in the seventh virtual console (tty7), although this is configuration dependent.
In Linux, the user switches between them by pressing the
Alt key combined with a
function key – for example + to access the virtual console number 1. + changes to the previous virtual console and + to the next virtual console. To switch from the X Window System or a
Wayland compositor, + + works. (Note that users can redefine these default key combinations.)
If several
sessions
Sessions may refer to:
* Sessions (surname), a surname
* Sessions (clothing company), an American apparel company
* Sessions Clock Company, an American clock manufacturer in the early 20th century
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''The Sessions' ...
of the X Window System are required to run in parallel, such as in the case of
fast user switching or when debugging X programs on a separate
X server, each X session usually runs in a separate virtual console.
Implementation details
Unix systems
Unix
workstations, such as those manufactured by
Sun or
Silicon Graphics, did not include virtual consoles. The only purpose of a console would be to fix the system so that the graphical environment could start.
Sun
Niagara-based servers running
virtualization with
Logical Domains get virtual console services from the ''Control domain''.
See also
*
Virtual desktop, works similar to a virtual console, but operates on
graphical desktops instead of a command prompt
*
System console for the non-virtual console
*
Text terminal for the textual interface in general
*
Pseudo terminal for even more virtual consoles
*
Terminal emulator for an application program that has the same function as a textual virtual console
Notes
References
* FreeBSD Handbook, chapte
3.2 Virtual Consoles and Terminals
External links
Linux command chvt to switch vt from cmdline
XENIX -- Microsoft's Short-lived Love Affair with Unix
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virtual Console (Pc)
Computer terminals
Terminal multiplexers
User interfaces