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/dev/tty is one of the three standard device files specified by POSIX (/dev/ being one of the three standard directories). Opening it is equivalent to opening the controlling terminal of the current process. The controlling terminal is set when a process first opens a terminal, at least on Linux. For example, in init, it would refer to /dev/console.

Detaching from the controlling terminal is one of the steps traditionally required to start a background process, for example a system logging daemon. The steps to become a background process are horribly intricate, but to be specific, the step which detaches from the controlling terminal is the setsid systemd call. In more modern systems, the init system e.g. systemd starts the service without any controlling terminal in the first place.

/dev/tty is one of the three standard device files specified by POSIX (/dev/ is one of the three directory names specified by POSIX). Opening it is equivalent to opening the controlling terminal of the current process. The controlling terminal is set when a process first opens a terminal, at least on Linux. For example, in init, it would refer to /dev/console.

Detaching from the controlling terminal is one of the steps traditionally required to start a background process, for example a system logging daemon. The steps to become a background process are horribly intricate, but to be specific, the step which detaches from the controlling terminal is the setsid system call. In more modern systems, the init system e.g. systemd starts the service without any controlling terminal in the first place.

On Linux, the kernel console can be configured using the console= boot option. Kernel code which calls printk() may write messages to it, e.g. when a device is loaded or an error occurs. These messages are also buffered by the kernel. (See also dmesg). When a console device is found and started, it receives all the previously buffered messages.

Inside a systemd-nspawn container, the file /dev/console is replaced with a pseudo-terminal device, aka PTY. These would be best described as virtual terminal devices. These are created dynamically and are also used to implement graphical terminal emulators like GNOME Terminal, and for remote access like ssh.

On Linux, the kernel console can be configured using the console= boot option. Kernel code which calls printk() may write messages to it, e.g. when a device is loaded or an error occurs. These messages are also buffered by the kernel. (See also dmesg). When a console device is found and started, it receives all the previously buffered messages.

Inside a systemd-nspawn container, the standard /dev/console file is replaced with a pseudo-terminal device (PTY). These would be best described as virtual terminal devices. They are created dynamically and are also used to implement graphical terminal emulators like GNOME Terminal, and for remote access like ssh.

The kernel documentation specifies /dev/console as a character device numbered (5,1). Opening this character device opens the "main" console, which is the last tty in the list of consoles. The initial non-kernel process init, aka PID 1, is started with /dev/console connected to standard output, standard error, and standard input.

The kernel documentation specifies /dev/console as a character device numbered (5,1). Opening this character device opens the "main" console, which is the last tty in the list of consoles. The first non-kernel process, called init or "PID 1", is started with /dev/console connected to standard output, standard error, and standard input.