# Using new sys5 pty (/dev/ptmx)



## dhummel (Jun 3, 2010)

Hi all!

Hopefully someone can help me ;-)
We are running FreeBSD 7.2 here. At least our installation lacks the new sys5 ptys, there is no /dev/ptmx device around.

Now I have googled around a little and the few information I found confuses me more than it helps... :-(

First of all I found this thread:
http://unix.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/FreeBSD/stable/2007-12/msg00068.html

but as far as I understand it, the problem should be fixed with 7.2. But out system also lacks kern.pts.enable. if I do a
`sysctl kern.pts.enable` I get an unknown oid error.

Could someone please help me and tell me how to enable ptmx on this system?

Regards
dietmar


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## SirDice (Jun 3, 2010)

/dev/ptmx is part of pts(4), not pty(4).


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## dhummel (Jun 3, 2010)

*pts vs. pty*

Hi SirDice!

You are completely right! I should have been more accurate. Can you please tell me if pts can be activated on 7.2 and if yes, how to activate it?

Regards
Dietmar


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## SirDice (Jun 3, 2010)

Do you use a custom kernel? 

As far as I know pts was implemented in 7.0, so the ptmx device should be there. I don't have a 7.x box available right now to check.


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## phoenix (Jun 3, 2010)

pts(4) was incorporated into 8.0.

There's no mention of it anywhere on my 7.0 or 7.3 systems.


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## SirDice (Jun 4, 2010)

phoenix said:
			
		

> pts(4) was incorporated into 8.0.
> 
> There's no mention of it anywhere on my 7.0 or 7.3 systems.





> Enable ptmx/pts support by default
> 
> FreeBSD 7.0 ships with ptmx/pts support but it is disabled by default as not enough applications had been updated by ship date. In 8.x, we should enable it by default, and sweep applications to make sure they properly support it.


http://www.watson.org/~robert/freebsd/freebsd8/todo.html


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## phoenix (Jun 4, 2010)

Well, it may "ship with support", but there's no documentation anywhere (including GENERIC, NOTES, LINT, man) on enabling it in pre-8.0 systems.


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## SirDice (Jun 4, 2010)

phoenix said:
			
		

> Well, it may "ship with support", but there's no documentation anywhere (including GENERIC, NOTES, LINT, man) on enabling it in pre-8.0 systems.



I know, I was looking for it myself :e

Even /usr/src/sys/conf/NOTES doesn't mention it.

But if the OP has 7.x systems with and now a 7.x system without it there must be some knob somewhere to turn it on.


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## dhummel (Jun 5, 2010)

Hi all!

thank you for your posts. I "solved" the problem now by switching to 8.0 CURRENT. Nevertheless, the question on how to turn it on on 7.x would be interesting...


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## phoenix (Jun 6, 2010)

Send a message to freebsd-stable@ and/or freebsd-hackers@.


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