---
name: "ttytype"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "man-pages"
version: "6.19-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ttytype/5"
---

# ttytype(5)

terminal device to default terminal type mapping

## NAME

ttytype - terminal device to default terminal type mapping

## DESCRIPTION

The */etc/ttytype* file associates [**termcap**(5)](/termcap/5.md) and [**terminfo**(5)](/terminfo/5.md) terminal type names with tty lines. Each line consists of a terminal type, followed by whitespace, followed by a tty name (a device name without the */dev/* prefix).

This association is used by the program [**tset**(1)](/tset/1.md) to set the environment variable **TERM** to the default terminal name for the user's current tty.

This facility was designed for a traditional time-sharing environment featuring character-cell terminals hardwired to a UNIX minicomputer. It is little used on modern workstation and personal UNIX systems.

## FILES

- */etc/ttytype*

  the tty definitions file.

## EXAMPLES

A typical */etc/ttytype* is:

```
con80x25 tty1
vt320 ttys0
```

## SEE ALSO

[**termcap**(5)](/termcap/5.md), [**terminfo**(5)](/terminfo/5.md), [**agetty**(8)](/agetty/8.md), [**mingetty**(8)](/mingetty/8.md)