System console: Difference between revisions

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+#REDIRECT [[Computer terminal#System console]]{{Short description|Interface used to control computers or operating systems}}
-{{disputed|Front panels without keyboard, display or printer|date=June 2021}}
-[[Image:KNOPPIX booting.png|thumb|Knoppix system console showing the boot process]]
-The '''system console''', '''computer console''', '''root console''', '''[[computer operator|operator]]'s console''', or simply '''console''' is the text entry and display device for system administration messages, particularly those from the [[BIOS]] or [[boot loader]], the [[Kernel (computer science)|kernel]], from the [[init]] system and from the [[syslog|system logger]]. It is a physical device consisting of a keyboard and a screen, and traditionally is a [[text terminal]], but may also be a [[graphical terminal]]. System consoles are generalized to [[computer terminal]]s, which are abstracted respectively by [[virtual console]]s and [[terminal emulator]]s. Today communication with system consoles is generally done abstractly, via the [[standard streams]] ([[stdin]], [[stdout]], and [[stderr]]), but there may be system-specific interfaces, for example those used by the system kernel.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.cl/books?id=vLlQAAAAYAAJ&q=%22System+console%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22System+console%22+-wikipedia&hl=es-419&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj6hoTqlb3xAhXrD7kGHSiSDR8Q6AEwAHoECAMQAg|title=KSR1 System Administration|date=1994|publisher=Kendall Square Research|language=en}}</ref>{{better source|date=June 2021}}
-==History==
-[[Image:IBM_1620_Model_1.jpg|thumb|[[IBM 1620]] console, with a typewriter and front panel]]
-Prior to the development of alphanumeric [[cathode ray tube|CRT]] system consoles, some computers such as the [[IBM 1620]] had console typewriters and [[front panel]]s while the very first programmable computer, the [[Manchester Baby]], used a combination of electromechanical switches and a CRT to provide console functions—the CRT displaying memory contents in binary by mirroring the machine's [[Williams tube|Williams-Kilburn tube]] CRT-based RAM.
-On traditional [[minicomputer]]s, the console was a '''serial console''', an [[RS-232]] serial link to a [[computer terminal|terminal]] such as a [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] [[VT100]]. This terminal was usually kept in a secured room  since it could be used for certain privileged functions such as halting the system or selecting which media to boot from.  Large [[midrange computer|midrange system]]s, e.g. those from [[Sun Microsystems]], [[Hewlett-Packard]] and [[IBM]], still use serial consoles. In larger installations, the console ports are attached to multiplexers or network-connected multiport serial servers that let an operator connect a terminal to any of the attached servers. Today, serial consoles are often used for accessing [[headless system]]s, usually with a [[terminal emulator]] running on a [[laptop]]. Also, routers, enterprise  [[network switch]]es and other telecommunication equipment have RS-232 serial console ports.
-On [[Personal computer|PC]]s and [[workstation]]s, the computer's attached [[Computer keyboard|keyboard]] and [[Computer display|monitor]] have the equivalent function.  Since the monitor cable carries video signals, it cannot be extended very far. Often, installations with many servers therefore use keyboard/video multiplexers ([[KVM switch]]es) and possibly video amplifiers to centralize console access. In recent years, [[KVM/IP]] devices have become available that allow a remote computer to view the video output and send keyboard input via any TCP/IP network and therefore the [[Internet]].
-Some PC [[BIOS]]es, especially in servers, also support serial consoles, giving access to the BIOS through a serial port so that the simpler and cheaper serial console infrastructure can be used. Even where BIOS support is lacking, some [[operating system]]s, e.g. [[FreeBSD]] and [[Linux]], can be configured for serial console operation either during bootup, or after startup.
-It is usually possible to [[logging (computer security)|log in]] from the console. Depending on configuration, the operating system may treat a login session from the console as being more trustworthy than a login session from other sources.
-==See also==
-*[[Command-line interface]] (CLI)
-*[[Console application]]
-*[[Console server]]
-*[[Linux console]]
-*[[Virtual console]]
-*[[Win32 console]]
-==References==
-{{reflist}}
-==External links==
-*{{Commonscatinline}}
 [[Category:BIOS]]