systemd systemd-getty-generator 8 systemd-getty-generator Generator for enabling getty instances on the console /usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/systemd-getty-generator systemd-getty-generator is a generator that automatically instantiates serial-getty@.service on the kernel consoles, if they can function as ttys and are not provided by the virtual console subsystem. It will also instantiate serial-getty@.service instances for virtualizer consoles, if execution in a virtualized environment is detected. If execution in a container environment is detected, it will instead enable console-getty.service for /dev/console, and container-getty@.service instances for additional container pseudo TTYs as requested by the container manager (see Container Interface). This should ensure that the user is shown a login prompt at the right place, regardless of which environment the system is started in. For example, it is sufficient to redirect the kernel console with a kernel command line argument such as console= to get both kernel messages and a getty prompt on a serial TTY. See The kernel's command-line parameters for more information on the console= kernel parameter. systemd-getty-generator implements systemd.generator7. Further information about configuration of gettys can be found in systemd for Administrators, Part XVI: Gettys on Serial Consoles (and Elsewhere). systemd-getty-generator understands the following kernel-command-line7 parameters: systemd.getty_auto= this options take an optional boolean argument, and default to yes. The generator is enabled by default, and a false value may be used to disable it. $SYSTEMD_GETTY_AUTO This variable takes an optional boolean argument, and default to yes. The generator is enabled by default, and a false value may be used to disable it. getty.ttys.serial getty.ttys.container These system credentials may be used to spawn additional login prompts on selected TTYs. The two credentials should contain a newline-separated list of TTY names to spawn instances of serial-getty@.service (in case of getty.ttys.serial) and container-getty@.service (in case of getty.ttys.container) on. systemd1, kernel-command-line7, systemd.system-credentials7, agetty8