# getty(8)

    NAME
         getty - system login banner

    SYNOPSIS
         getty [banner ...]

    DESCRIPTION
         Getty displays a system identification banner, reads  a  user  name  from
         standard input and executes login with that name as argument.

         Getty uses its arguments separated by spaces  as  a  login  banner.   The
         character  sequences \n, \s and \t are printed as newline, space and tab.
         Any other \x prints that x.  The character sequences %s, %n, etc. produce
         the same output as uname -s, uname -n, etc.  The default banner is

              %s\s\sRelease\s%r\sVersion\s%v\n\n%n\slogin:\s

         The only other useful functionality offered by getty is that  it  can  be
         suspended  by  signal  SIGUSR1  and  restarted by SIGUSR2.  This allows a
         program such as modem(1) to temporarily claim a dialin line for dialout.

    SEE ALSO
         modem(1), ttytab(5), init(8).

    BUGS
         Getty should be taught about modems and modem lines.  The signal trick is
         an awful hack.

    AUTHOR
         Kees J. Bot (kjb@cs.vu.nl)