Can I run multiple terminals on the console of Solaris x86 like those supported on Linux, FreeBSD, Interactive Unix, and SCO?

Can I run multiple terminals on the console of Solaris x86 like those supported on Linux, FreeBSD, Interactive Unix, and SCO?

Maybe.
Starting with Solaris/x86 2.4, they are no longer configured
during the installation, but they still work if configured afterwards
by hand.
Starting with Solaris 8, they are removed.


If you have Solaris 2.4 to 7,
you can configure multiple virtual terminals back in yourself as follows:


First, as root, verify the device's major number with grep: 




    # grep -i chanmux /etc/name_to_major


    chanmux <number>


Second, verify the /dev/vt* entries are present
(with ls -l /dev/vt*).
If not present, add the /dev entries, substituting whatever you found
with the grep output for <number>: 




    mknod /dev/vt01 c <number> 1


    mknod /dev/vt02 c <number> 2


    etc...


Copy and paste the following to /etc/inittab (after the "co:" entry),
and verify no line breaks are added: 




v1:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT01 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt01 -l console


v2:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT02 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt02 -l console


v3:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT03 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt03 -l console


v4:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT04 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt04 -l console


v5:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT05 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt05 -l console


v6:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT06 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt06 -l console


v7:234:respawn:/usr/lib/saf/ttymon -g -h -p "VT07 Login: " -T AT386 -d /dev/vt07 -l console


To get init to reread inittab, either /usr/sbin/reboot,
or issue the command:
/usr/sbin/init q


Now,
Alt-PrintScreen F1 switches to VT01,
Alt-PrintScreen F2 switches to VT02, etc. (if activated as above)
Alt-PrintScreen P switches to the previous screen.
Alt-PrintScreen N switches to the next screen.
Alt-PrintScreen H switches to the X console screen (not Alt-PrintScreen F8).


Press "Alt" and "PrintScreen" together then the next key (e.g., F3).
This is also documented in Sun's FAQ 2245-02,
http://access1.Sun.COM/cgi-bin/rinfo2html?244502.faq
Sun's FAQ has three typos.
In Step 2's example, replace the second "mknod /dev/vt01 c <num> 1"
with "mknod /dev/vt02 c <num> 1"
In Step 3, replace "co:" in the FAQ with "v1:" to "v7:"
and remove the line breaks between "-T" and "AT386".
The "PrintScreen" key is the same as the "SysReq" key.


If you're using XFree86, you need to leave one VT open (usually VT07);
otherwise XFree86 will not run.


[Adapted from Casper Dik's Solaris 2 FAQ; XFree86 info from Gantry Zettler]




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