Multiple TTYs

In Linux systems, including Aegix Linux, multiple TTYs (Teletype Terminals) are a fundamental feature that allows you to access multiple terminal sessions directly from your physical machine. TTYs are essentially text-based terminals that let you interact with the system without using a graphical user interface (GUI). These are especially useful for troubleshooting, running multiple sessions simultaneously, or when working in a non-GUI environment.

Here’s how they work and their significance

1. Multiple Sessions: Linux typically provides several TTYs. By default, TTY1 is usually the graphical desktop environment (if one is installed), and TTYs 2 through 6 are text-based terminals.

2. Switching TTYs: You can switch between these TTYs using the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + Alt + F1, Ctrl + Alt + F2, Ctrl + Alt + F3, and so on. Each combination takes you to a different TTY. For instance, Ctrl + Alt + F2 will take you to TTY2, Ctrl + Alt + F3 to TTY3, and so on.

3. Use cases:

   • Validating block device selection: Let’s say you’ve already started the installation process and you’re at the point where you need to select the block device to install to. You can use Ctrl + Alt + F2 to switch to TTY2, then use lsblk to list the block devices and their sizes. This will help you select the right block device to install to.
   • Post-installation Troubleshooting: If you’re having issues with your system, you can switch to a different TTY and troubleshoot from there.
   • Learning and exploration: Imagine the possibilities!

Remember, when working in TTYs, you are working directly with a shell, so all the usual command-line tools and commands are available to you. This makes TTYs a powerful feature for system administration and advanced Linux usage.