ptmx(M)
ptmx, pts??? --
STREAMS master pseudo-tty device
Description
The file /dev/ptmx is the device node used by applications
to open STREAMS-based master pseudo-tty devices. This is a
single device node which allows access to multiple devices via the
clone(M)
driver. Successive
open(S)
calls to /dev/ptmx return different file descriptors, each
referring to a new cloned device.
The master pseudo-tty device opened is used to transfer data between
the application and one of the slave pseudo-tty nodes
/dev/pts???, where ??? is a 3 digit
decimal number with leading zeros.
Limitations
Although /dev/ptmx is referred to as a pseudo-tty, the
master device does not have tty characteristics and therefore cannot
become the controlling tty of a process group. The slave side of the
connection does have the characteristics of a real tty and can
become the controlling tty of a process group.
Files
/dev/ptmx
/dev/pts???
See also
clone(M)
AT&T STREAMS Programmer's Guide
AT&T STREAMS Primer
© 2003 Caldera International, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCO OpenServer Release 5.0.7 -- 11 February 2003