# Automatic login to virtual console

Related articles

- Display manager
- Silent boot
- Start X at Login

This article describes how to automatically log in to a virtual console at the end of the boot process. This article only covers console log-ins; see Start X at Login for information about automatic login into Xorg.

## Configuration

Configuration relies on systemd drop-in files to override the default parameters passed to agetty.

Configuration differs for virtual versus serial consoles. In most cases, you want to set up automatic login on a virtual console, (whose device name is `ttyN`, where `N` is a number). The configuration of automatic login for serial consoles will be slightly different. Device names of the serial consoles look like `ttySN`, where `N` is a number.

### Virtual console

Create the following file (and leading directories):

    /etc/systemd/system/getty@tty1.service.d/autologin.conf

    [Service]
    ExecStart=
    ExecStart=-/usr/bin/agetty --autologin username --noclear %I 38400 linux

Tip: The option `Type=idle` will delay the service startup until all jobs (state change requests to units) are completed. When using `Type=simple`, the service will be started immediately, but boot-up messages may pollute the login prompt. This option is particularly useful when starting X automatically. To use this option, add `Type=simple` into `autologin.conf`.

If you want to use a tty other than tty1, see systemd FAQ.

### Serial console

Create the following file (and leading directories):

    /etc/systemd/system/serial-getty@ttyS0.service.d/autologin.conf

    [Service]
    ExecStart=
    ExecStart=-/usr/bin/agetty --autologin username -s %I 115200,38400,9600 vt102

## See also

- Change default runlevel/target to boot into

Categories:

- Boot process
- Security