Non-Global Zone Login Methods

This section describes the methods you can use to log in to a zone.

Zone Console Login

Each zone maintains a virtual console, /dev/console. Performing actions on the console is referred to as console mode. Console login to a zone is available when the zone is in the installed state. The zone console is closely analogous to a serial console on a system. Connections to the console persist across zone reboots. To understand how console mode differs from a login session such as telnet, see Remote Login.

The zone console is accessed by using the zlogin command with the -C option and the zonename. The zone does not have to be in the running state.

Processes inside the zone can open and write messages to the console. If the zlogin -C process exits, another process can then access the console.

User Login Methods

To log in to the zone with a user name, use the zlogin command with the -l option, the user name, and the zonename. For example, the administrator of the global zone can log in as a normal user in the non-global zone by specifying the -l option to zlogin:

global# zlogin -l user zonename

To log in as user root, use the zlogin command without options.