tty: Add a new file /proc/tty/consoles

Add a new file /proc/tty/consoles to be able to determine the registered
system console lines.  If the reading process holds /dev/console open at
the regular standard input stream the active device will be marked by an
asterisk.  Show possible operations and also decode the used flags of
the listed console lines.

Signed-off-by: Werner Fink <werner@suse.de>
Cc: Alan Cox <alan@lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
Signed-off-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@suse.de>

1 files changed, 32 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt b/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt
index a6aca8740883..98223a676940 100644
--- a/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt
+++ b/Documentation/filesystems/proc.txt
@@ -1075,6 +1075,7 @@ Table 1-11: Files in /proc/tty
  drivers       list of drivers and their usage                
  ldiscs        registered line disciplines                    
  driver/serial usage statistic and status of single tty lines 
+ consoles      registered system console lines
 ..............................................................................
 
 To see  which  tty's  are  currently in use, you can simply look into the file
@@ -1093,6 +1094,37 @@ To see  which  tty's  are  currently in use, you can simply look into the file
   /dev/tty             /dev/tty        5       0 system:/dev/tty 
   unknown              /dev/tty        4    1-63 console 
 
+To see which character device lines are currently used for the system console
+/dev/console, you may simply look into the file /proc/tty/consoles:
+
+  > cat /proc/tty/consoles
+  tty0                 -WU (ECp)       4:7
+  ttyS0                -W- (Ep)        4:64
+
+The columns are:
+
+  device               name of the device
+  operations           R = can do read operations
+                       W = can do write operations
+                       U = can do unblank
+  flags                E = it is enabled
+                       C = it is prefered console
+                       B = it is primary boot console
+                       p = it is used for printk buffer
+                       b = it is not a TTY but a Braille device
+                       a = it is safe to use when cpu is offline
+                       * = it is standard input of the reading process
+  major:minor          major and minor number of the device separated by a colon
+
+If the reading process holds /dev/console open at the regular standard input
+stream the active device will be marked by an asterisk:
+
+  > cat /proc/tty/consoles < /dev/console
+  tty0                 -WU (ECp*)      4:7
+  ttyS0                -W- (Ep)        4:64
+  > tty
+  /dev/pts/3
+
 
 1.8 Miscellaneous kernel statistics in /proc/stat
 -------------------------------------------------