conserver/console/console.man

.\" $Id: console.man,v 1.12 2001-10-15 22:46:09-07 bryan Exp $
.TH CONSOLE 1 "Local"
.SH NAME
console \- console server client program
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBconsole\fP [\fB\-aAfFGsS\fP] [\fB\-7Dv\fP] [\fB\-M\fP \fImach\fP]
[\fB\-p\fP \fIport\fP] [\fB\-e\fP \fIesc\fP] [\fB\-l\fP \fIuser\fP]
\fIconsole\fP
.br
\fBconsole\fP [\fB\-hPrRuVwx\fP] [\fB\-7Dv\fP] [\fB\-M\fP \fImach\fP]
[\fB\-p\fP \fIport\fP] [\fB\-b\fP \fImessage\fP]
.br
\fBconsole\fP [\fB\-qQ\fP] [\fB\-7Dv\fP] [\fB\-M\fP \fImach\fP]
[\fB\-p\fP \fIport\fP]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.B Console
is used to manipulate console terminals remotely or to poll running
\fBconserver\fP(8) daemons for status information.
.PP
In the first form above,
.B console
asks the user's password before
granting interactive access to a console (on a non-trusted system),
since such a session may provide single-user access.
Only as much of the console name as is required to
identify it uniquely to the server is required.
.PP
For non-interactive options,
.B console
outputs only the requested information and exits.
.PP
.B Console
knows only of a primary
.B conserver
host
(see the \fB\-M\fP option below),
to which it initially connects.
In a multi-server environment, the primary server may refer
the client to a different server handling the requested console,
or it will provide a list of all servers if required
(as when
.B console
is invoked with the
.RB ` \-r '
option).
.B Console
then opens connections to the appropriate server(s).
It is not necessary for the user of
.B console
to know which server manages which consoles,
as long as
.B console
knows a valid primary server
and all available consoles are listed in the primary server's
configuration file.
.SH OPTIONS
.PP
Options may be given as separate arguments (e.g., \fB\-v -w\fP)
or clustered (e.g., \fB\-vw\fP).
Options and their arguments may be separated by optional white space.
Option arguments containing spaces or other characters special to the shell
must be quoted.
.TP
.B \-7
Strip the high bit off of all data received,
whether from user input or from the server,
before any processing occurs.
Disallows escape sequence characters with the high bit set.
.TP
.B \-a
Access a console with a two-way (read-write) connection (this is the default).
The connection is dropped to spy mode if someone else is attached read-write.
.TP
.BI \-b message
Broadcast a \fImessage\fP to all users connected to the console server.
.TP
.B \-D
Enable debugging output.
.TP
.BI \-e esc
Set the initial two-character escape sequence to
those represented by \fIesc\fP.
Any of the forms output by \fBcat\fP(1)'s \-\fBv\fP option
are accepted.  The default value is ``\fB^Ec\fP''.
.TP
.B \-f
Same as \fB\-a\fP except it will force any existing connection into spy mode.
.TP
.B \-G
Request a raw connection to the group control virtual console;
this is only useful for learning the protocol used by the
interactive sequence.
.TP
.B \-h
Display a brief help message.
.TP
.BI \-l user
Set the login name used for authentication to \fIuser\fP.
By default, \fBconsole\fP uses $USER if its uid matches the user's real uid,
or $LOGNAME if its uid matches the user's real uid,
or else the name associated with the user's real uid.
.TP
.BI \-M mach
The \fBconsole\fP client program polls \fImach\fP as the primary server,
rather than the default set at compile time (typically ``\fBconsole\fP'').
The default \fImach\fP may be changed at compile time using the
\fB--with-master\fP option.
.TP
.BI \-p port
Set the port to connect to.  This may be either a port number
or a service name.  The default \fIport\fP may be changed at compile time
using the \fB--with-port\fP option.
.TP
.B \-P
Display the pid of the master daemon process on each server.
.TP
.B \-q
The \fBconsole\fP client requests that the server daemon quit (shut down).
A password is sent in the protocol stream; if none is required for
the local host to shut down the server, just press <return>.
.TP
.B \-Q
Same as \fB\-q\fP but just acts on the primary server.
.TP
.B \-r
Display daemon versions.  The \fBconsole\fP client connects to each
server to request its version information.
.TP
.B \-R
Same as \fB\-r\fP but just acts on the primary server.
.TP
.B \-s
Request a read-only (spy mode) connection.
In this mode all the escape sequences (below) work, or report errors,
but all other keyboard input is discarded.
.TP
.B \-u
Show a list of all consoles with status (`up' or `down')
and attached users (\fIuser\fP@\fIhost\fP if attached read-write,
`<spies>' if only users in spy mode, or `<none>').
.TP
.B \-v
Be more verbose when building the connection(s).
Use this option in combination with any of `show' options (below)
for added benefit.
.TP
.B \-V
Output the version and settings of the console client program
and then exit.
.TP
.B \-w
Show a list of all who are currently connected to consoles,
including the hostnames where the \fBconsole\fP connections originate
and the idle times.  This is useful to see if anybody is actively
using the console system if it becomes necessary to shut down
\fBconserver\fP.
.TP
.B \-x
Show a list of consoles and devices.
.PP
The \fB\-A\fP, \fB\-F\fP, or \fB\-S\fP options have the same effect as
their lower-case variants.
In addition, they each request the last 20 lines of the console output after
making the connection (as if `\fB^Ecr\fP' were typed).
.SH "ESCAPE SEQUENCES"
The connection can be controlled by a two-character escape sequence, followed
by a command.  The default escape sequence is ``control-E c''
(octal 005 143).
(The escape sequences are actually processed by the server; see the
.BR conserver (8)
man page for more information.)
Commands are:
.sp
.PD 0
.IP a
attach read-write if nobody already is
.IP c
toggle flow control (don't do this)
.IP d
down the current console
.IP e\fIcc\fP
change the escape sequence to the next two characters
.IP f
forcibly attach read-write
.IP g
group info
.IP L
toggle logging on/off
.IP l1
send a 3-second serial line break (might halt a Sun)
("ell" then "one", not the L1 key)
.IP l2
send the alternate break sequence (<CR>, tilde, CTRL-B)
(might halt a Sun)
.IP o
close (if open) and reopen the line (to clear errors (silo overflows))
and the log file
.IP p
replay the last 60 lines of output
.IP r
replay the last 20 lines of output
.IP s
switch to spy mode (read-only)
.IP u
show status of hosts/users in this group
.IP v
show the version of the group server
.IP w
who is using this console
.IP x
examine this group's devices and modes
.IP z
suspend this connection
.IP ?
display list of commands
.IP "^M (return)"
continue, ignore the escape sequence
.IP "^R (ctrl-R)"
replay the last line only
.IP \\\fIooo\fP
send character having octal code \fIooo\fP
(must specify three octal digits)
.IP \.
disconnect
.PD
.PP
If any other character is hit after the escape sequence, all three characters
will be discarded.
Note that a line break or a down command
can only be sent from a full two-way attachment.
To send the escape sequence through the connection one must redefine
the outer escape sequence, or use \fB^Ec\\\fP\fIooo\fP to send the
first escape character before typing the second character directly.
.PP
In the \fB\-u\fP output, the login ``<none>'' indicates no one is
viewing that console, and the login ``<spies>'' indicates that
no one has a full two-way attachment.  When no one is attached to
a console its output is cloned to the stdout of the server process
if \fBconserver\fP was started with the \fB\-u\fP option.
.SH EXAMPLES
.TP
console \-u
Outputs something like:
.sp
.RS
.ta 18n 24n
dumb	up	<none>
.br
expert	up	ksb@mentor
.br
tyro	up	<spies>
.br
mentor	up	<none>
.br
sage	up	fine@cis
.DT
.RE
.IP
The \fB<none>\fP indicates no one is viewing \fIdumb\fP or \fImentor\fP,
the \fB<spies>\fP indicates only read-only connections exist for \fItyro\fP,
and
other \fIlogin\fP@\fIhost\fP entries indicate users attached read-write to
\fIsage\fP and \fIexpert\fP.
.TP
console \-w
Outputs something like:
.sp
.RS
.ta 18n 26n 32n
ksb@extra	attach	2days	expert
.br
file@cis	attach	21:46	sage
.br
dmr@alice	spy	\00:04	tyro
.DT
.RE
.IP
The third column is the idle time of the user.
Either \fIhours\fP:\fIminutes\fP or number of days is displayed.
.TP
console \-e \*(lq^[1\*(rq lv426
Requests a connection to the host ``lv426'' with the escape characters
set to ``escape one''.
.SH BUGS
Connections suspended under Dynix sometimes break the kernel when
resumed.
.PP
It is possible to create a loop of console connections, with ugly results.
Never run \fBconsole\fP from within a console connection (unless you set each
escape sequence differently).
.PP
The \fB\-G\fP option doesn't help to explain how connections get built.
.SH AUTHORS
Thomas A. Fine, Ohio State Computer Science
.br
Kevin Braunsdorf, Purdue University Computing Center
.br
Bryan Stansell, conserver.com
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR conserver.cf (5),
.BR conserver.passwd (5),
.BR conserver (8)