---
name: "deallocvt"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "kbd"
version: "2.10.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/deallocvt"
---

# deallocvt(1)

deallocate unused virtual consoles

## NAME

deallocvt - deallocate unused virtual consoles

## SYNOPSIS

**deallocvt** \[*option*...\] \[*N* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

The command **deallocvt** deallocates kernel memory and data structures for all unused virtual consoles. If one or more arguments *N* ... are given, only the corresponding consoles */dev/ttyN* are deallocated.

A virtual console is unused if it is not the foreground console, and no process has it open for reading or writing, and no text has been selected on its screen.

## OPTIONS

- **-C**, **--console**=*DEV*

  the console device to be used.

- **-V**, **--version**

  print version number.

- **-h**, **--help**

  print this usage message.

## AUTHORS

Andries Brouwer \<aeb@cwi.nl\>

## SEE ALSO

[**chvt**(1)](/chvt/1.md), [**openvt**(1)](/openvt/1.md)