fgconsole Command in Linux

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The fgconsole command on Linux displays the number of the currently active virtual terminal (VT). The virtual terminal is a Linux feature that allows access to a system through a text-based interface. It is also known as a virtual console (VC). It allows a user to access the shell and interact with the operating system. In Linux, it is termed as tty or teletype due to its functional resemblance with earlier teletypes.

Table of Contents

Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the fgconsole command −

• Syntax of fgconsole Command
• Options of fgconsole Command
• Understanding Linux Virtual Terminals
• Examples of fgconsole Command in Linux

Syntax of fgconsole Command

The syntax of the Linux fgconsole command is as follows −

fgconsole [options]

The [options] field is used to specify the options to modify the behavior of the command.

Options of fgconsole Command

The options used with the Linux fgconsole command are listed below −

Understanding Linux Virtual Terminals

If you are using Linux with a desktop environment, then you may not be able to use the fgconsole command from the terminal app. It is designed to work on virtual consoles, not on console emulators.

To access a virtual terminal on a Linux desktop environment, use ctrl+alt+F2 to F6. If you press ctrl+alt+F3, the third virtual terminal will open.

Similarly, to open the fourth virtual terminal use ctrl+alt+F4.

Typically, 6 virtual terminals can be accessed on a Linux system. However, the total number of virtual terminals available can be configured up to 63, depending on the kernel settings.

To exit the virtual terminal and return to the graphical environment use ctrl+alt+F1 or ctrl+alt+F7.

To list the currently active virtual terminals, use the w command −

Examples of fgconsole Command in Linux

This section demonstrates the usage of the fgconsole command in Linux with examples −

• Displaying the Current Virtual Terminal Number
• Displaying the Next Unallocated Virtual Terminal
• Displaying the Active Virtual Terminal Number of a Specific Device
• Displaying Help

Displaying the Current Virtual Terminal Number

To display the current virtual terminal number, execute the fgconsole command without any option −

fgconsole

Displaying the Next Unallocated Virtual Terminal

To display the next unallocated virtual terminal, use the -n or --next-available option. This option is used to find the VT available for the new session.

fgconsole -n

Displaying the Active Virtual Terminal Number of a Specific Device

To display the currently active virtual terminal number for a specific device, use the -C or --console option −

fgconsole -C /dev/tty4

The output is 3 which indicates that virtual terminal 3 is currently active for device /dev/tty4.

Displaying Help

To print the help of the fgconsole command, use the -h or --help option −

fgconsole -h

Conclusion

The fgconsole command in Linux is used to print the number of currently active virtual consoles. For example, if the virtual terminal is "/dev/tty3", it will display 3 to the standard output. Displaying the virtual terminal number can be useful for system administrators to manage the virtual terminal sessions.

In this tutorial, we explained the fgconsole command, its syntax, options, and usage in Linux through various examples.