src/vlock/README.vlock

   VV       VV  LL          OOO       CCCCC  KK   KK
    VV     VV   LL        OO   OO   CC       KK KK    written by
     VV   VV    LL       OO     OO  CC       KK        Michael K. Johnson
      VV VV     LL        OO   OO   CC       KK KK    for Linux Journal
       VVV      LLLLLLLL    OOO       CCCCC  KK   KK


This is vlock, the Linux _V_irtual Console locking program.  It
allows you to lock one or all of the sessions of your Linux console
display.

Usage is very simple; by default, vlock locks the single console
you are on.  The -a or --all flags cause it to lock the console
completely, so that users cannot switch to another virtual
console.

If you are working on a shared Linux computer, and want to lock
a console session as you left it, but want to allow other users
to log onto other sessions, simply run vlock when you leave the
computer.

If you want to lock the console so that no one else can log onto
any of the virtual consoles (perhaps because you have login sessions
running on several other virtual consoles at the same time), you
use the -a or --all flag to cause vlock to not allow any user
to switch to any console without typing your password.

  WARNING: If you lock all the consoles, they will be *really*
  locked.  Unless you have a serial terminal, or can log in
  remotely via a network to kill vlock, you *will not* be able
  to get back to your terminal session without entering the
  correct password.  While I was developing this program, a few
  small bugs forced me to do *hard resets*.  If you loose data
  because you have to reset your computer because of vlock -a,
  it is your own problem, not mine.  I warned you.

If anyone else can log in as you, they can send a
SIGKILL to vlock, which *will* kill it.

The vlock binary can be installed wherever you like, with
whatever name you like.

"vlock -h" or "vlock --help" will get you a help message.

If you have the "open" program, try doing `open vlock -a' to
run vlock on a new VC.  This will keep your current VC from getting
obscured by silly password messages...

*** Features: ***
Currently, vlock doesn't have very many features.  It locks the
console, and now will even try to lock other sessions as well.
I hope that non-VC sessions will be locked securely, but I
don't know for sure.

vlock supports no other authentication methods but PAM authentication.

*** Bugs fixed: ***
Quits if the tty is closed (not applicable to VCs).
Asks for password on non-PAM systems.  March 12, 1998.

Moved to new PAM conversationg function conventions.  October 10, 1997.

Shadow support was minimal.  Fixed May 16, 1996.
Used /dev/console instead of /dev/tty.  Fixed May 16, 1996.

Ctrl-Break was able to kill vlock.  Fixed July 3, 1994.

With vlock -a, after guessing the password wrong once, it was
possible to switch VC's.  Fixed July 3, 1994.

Root was not allowed to lock his tty because I took my
password reading program from GNU su, for which it is
appropriate for root not to be asked to enter a password...
This was fixed March 21, 1994.

Message said to use Control-function key, not Alt-function key.
This was fixed March 23, 1994.

SIGQUIT could break out of vlock in some cases.
This was fixed March 23, 1994.


Please email me any comments you have about vlock: johnsonm@redhat.com

I wrote this code as a demonstration of the VT ioctls for Linux
Journal.  Subscription information is available on the web at
http://www.ssc.com/lj and via email through info@ssc.com