Initiates an interactive terminal session.

Format

[Ctrl/C]

[Ctrl/Y]

[Return]

Description

There is no LOGIN command. You signal your intention to access the system by pressing Return, Ctrl/C, or Ctrl/Y, on a terminal not currently in use. The system prompts for your user name and your password (and your secondary password, if you have one) and then validates them.

Specify the optional qualifiers immediately after you type your user name; then press Return to get the password prompts.

The login procedure performs the following functions:

• Validates your right to access the system by checking your user name and passwords against the entries in the system's user authorization file (UAF)
• Establishes the default characteristics of your terminal session based on your user name entry in the UAF
• Executes the command procedure file SYS$SYLOGIN.COM if one exists
• Executes either the command procedure file named LOGIN.COM if one exists in your default directory, or the command file defined in the UAF, if any

Some systems are set up with a retry facility for users who are accessing the system from remote or dialup locations. With these systems, when you make a mistake typing your user name or password, the system allows you to reenter the information. To reenter your login information, press Return. The system displays the user name prompt again. Now retype your user name and press Return to send the information to the system. The system displays the password prompt. (There is both a limit to the number of times you can retry to enter your login information and a time limit between tries.)

Qualifiers

/CLI=command-language-interpreter

Specifies the name of an alternate command language interpreter (CLI) to override the default CLI listed in the UAF. The CLI you specify must be located in SYS$SYSTEM and have the file type .EXE.

If you do not specify a command interpreter by using the /CLI qualifier and you do not have a default CLI listed in the UAF, the system supplies the qualifier /CLI=DCL by default.

/COMMAND[=filespec] (default)

/NOCOMMAND

Controls whether to execute your default login command procedure when you log in. Use the /COMMAND qualifier to specify the name of an alternate login command procedure. If you specify a file name without a file type, the default file type .COM is used. If you specify the /COMMAND qualifier and omit the file specification, your default login command procedure is executed.

Use the /NOCOMMAND qualifier if you do not want your default login command procedure to be executed.

/CONNECT (default)

/NOCONNECT

Specifies whether or not to reconnect to a virtual terminal.

/DISK=device-name[:]

Specifies the name of a disk device to be associated with the logical device SYS$DISK for the terminal session. This specification overrides the default SYS$DISK device established in the UAF.

/LOCAL_PASSWORD

Requests OpenVMS authentication using the user name and password information that is stored in the SYSUAF.DAT file. This qualifier is used to override external authentication if external authentication is unavailable.

/NEW_PASSWORD

Requires that you change the account password before logging in (as if the password had expired). Use this qualifier as a shortcut if you had intended to change your password after login, or if you suspect that your password has been detected.

/TABLES=(command-table[,...])

/TABLES=DCLTABLES (default)

Specifies the name of an alternate CLI table to override the default listed in the UAF. This table name is considered a file specification. The default device and directory is SYS$SHARE and the default file type is .EXE.

If a logical name is used, the table name specification must be defined in the system logical name table.

If the /CLI qualifier is set to DCL, the /TABLES qualifier defaults to the correct value. If the /TABLES qualifier is specified without the /CLI qualifier, the CLI specified in the user's UAF will be used.

Examples

 [Ctrl/Y]
Username:  HOFFMAN
Password:  <PASSWORD>
      

In this example, pressing Ctrl/Y allows you to access the operating system, which immediately prompts for a user name. After validating the user name, the system prompts for the password but does not echo it.

 [Return]                            
Username:  HIGGINS/DISK=USER$
Password: <PASSWORD>
Welcome to OpenVMS Alpha (TM) Operating System, Version 7.3 on node LSR
    Last interactive login on Tuesday, 18-DEC-2001 08:41
    Last non-interactive login on Monday, 19-DEC-2001 15:43
$ SHOW DEFAULT
  USER$:[HIGGINS]
 
      

In this Alpha example, the /DISK qualifier requests that the default disk for the terminal session be USER$. The SHOW DEFAULT command shows that USER$ is the default disk.

 [Return]
Username: JONES
Password: <PASSWORD>
User authorization failure
 [Return]
Username: JONES
Password: <PASSWORD>
Welcome to OpenVMS Alpha (TM) Operating System, Version 7.3 on node LSR
        Last interactive login on Tuesday, 15-DEC-2001 09:16:47.08
        Last non-interactive login on Monday, 14-DEC-2001 17:32:34.27
        1 failure since last successful login.
$
 
      

This example shows the "User authorization failure" message, which indicates that the password has been entered incorrectly. After you successfully log in, a message is displayed showing the number of login failures since your last successful login. This message is displayed only if login failures have occurred.

 [Return]
Username: JOYCE
Password: <PASSWORD>
Welcome to OpenVMS Alpha (TM) Operating System, Version 7.3 on node LSR
       Last interactive login on Tuesday, 15-DEC-2001 09:16:47.08
       Last non-interactive login on Monday, 14-DEC-2001 17:32:34.27
       WARNING - Primary password has expired; update immediately.
$
 
      

This example shows the WARNING message, which indicates that your primary password has expired. You must use the SET PASSWORD command to change your password before logging out, or you will be unable to log in again.

For more information on changing your password, see the description of the SET PASSWORD command in this manual.