virtual terminal

[ajs at hpfcla.UUCP]

Here's another example of virtual  terminal...  Let's say you have a set
of machines  hooked up over a LAN (Local Area  Network,  maybe  Ethernet
based).  Suppose  you also have an existing  application  package,  say,
uucp, which knows all about RS-232  lines but nothing  about LAN.  A lot
of  higher-level  utilities  ride  on top of  uucp.  You'd  like to send
email,  news, etc.  over the LAN (it's  faster,  and maybe it's the only
available  route).  You  don't  want to mess  with the  innards  of uucp
(ugh).  What do you do?

In this  case,  virtual  terminal  comes to the  rescue as  support  for
special files that act like RS-232 ports (say, /dev/culnet) but actually
give  access to the LAN, hiding the  details.  Presto, you can uucico at
jillions  of  baud,  without  knowing  there's  any  difference  between
/dev/culnet and any hardwired line.

Alan Silverstein, Hewlett-Packard Fort Collins Systems Division, Colorado
{ihnp4 | hplabs}!hpfcla!ajs, 303-226-3800 x3053, N 40 31'31" W 105 00'43"