# 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

Edit the provided unit either manually by creating the following drop-in snippet, or by running `systemctl edit getty@tty1` and pasting its content:

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

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

Tip: The option `Type=idle` found in the default `getty@.service` will delay the service startup until all jobs (state change requests to units) are completed in order to avoid polluting the login prompt with boot-up messages. When starting X automatically, it may be useful to start `getty@tty1.service` immediately by adding `Type=simple` into the drop-in snippet. Both the init system and startx can be silenced to avoid the interleaving of their messages during boot-up.

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