1.3. Alternative meanings of "console"
Some authors use the word "console" to refer to
the keyboard and monitor that are attached to the system unit.
This is described as a "physical console" by some
Linux documentation. The
console where system messages appear is described as the
"logical console" by that documentation.
As an illustration of the difference, X
Windows should start on the physical console but
system messages issued by failures when starting X
Windows should be written to the logical
console.
To avoid confusion this HOWTO uses the
word "console" to describe the place where system
messages are printed. This HOWTO uses the
phrase "attached monitor and keyboard" rather than the
confusing words "physical console".
These distinctions are also made in the naming of devices.
The device /dev/console is
used to send messages to the console. The symbolic link /dev/systty points to the device which
is used by the attached monitor and keyboard, often /dev/tty0.
Table 1-1. Different ways of referring to the "console"
| Document | | |
|---|
This HOWTO | "Console" | "Attached monitor and keyboard" |
Some Linux documentation | "Logical console" | "Physical console" |
Device names | /dev/console | /dev/systty |
Take our 
