NAME
    openvt - start a program on a new virtual terminal (VT).

SYNOPSIS
    openvt [-c vtnumber] [-s] [-u] [-l] [-v] [--] command command_options

DESCRIPTION
    openvt will find the first available VT, and run on it the given com-
    mand with the given command options, standard input, output and  error
    are directed to that terminal. The current search path ($PATH) is used
    to find the requested command. If no command is specified then the
    environment variable $SHELL is used.

 OPTIONS
    -c vtnumber
    Use the given VT number and not the first available. Note you
    must have write access to the supplied VT for this to work.

    -s   Switch to the new VT when starting the command. The VT of the
    new command will be made the new current VT.

    -u   Figure out the owner of the current VT, and run login as that
    user. Suitable to be called by init. Shouldn't be used with -c
    or -l.

    -l   Make the command a login shell. A - is prepended to the name of
    the command to be executed.

    -v   Be a bit more verbose.

    -w   wait for command to complete. If -w and -s are used together
    then openvt will switch back to the controlling terminal when
    the command completes.

    --   end of options to openvt.

NOTE
    If openvt is compiled with a POSIX (GNU) getopt() and you wish to set
    options to the  command to be run, then you must supply the end of
    options -- flag before the command.

EXAMPLES
    openvt can be used to start a shell on the next free VT, by using the
    command:

    openvt bash

    To start the shell as a login shell, use:

    openvt -l bash

    To get a long listing you must supply the -- separator:

    openvt -- ls -l

HISTORY
    Earlier,  openvt  was called open.  It was written by Jon  Tombs
    <jon@gtex02.us.es or jon@robots.ox.ac.uk>. The -w idea is from "sam".

SEE ALSO
   chvt(1), doshell(8),login(1)