tty7

tty7 refers to the seventh virtual terminal on most Unix-like operating systems. Virtual terminals, often abbreviated as VTs, are independent text-based login sessions. They allow users to interact with the system using a command-line interface without the need for a graphical environment. On many systems, the first few virtual terminals, typically tty1 through tty6, are reserved for text-mode logins.

tty7 is commonly designated as the default display server session, particularly for graphical environments like X Window System (often referred to as the X server). When a system boots into a graphical mode, the display manager, which handles user logins and starts the graphical session, typically runs on tty7. This means that even though you see a graphical login screen or desktop, the underlying system is still operating in a text-based VT environment, with tty7 hosting the graphical components.

Switching between virtual terminals is usually done using keyboard shortcuts, typically involving the Control (Ctrl) and Alt keys in combination with function keys F1 through F7 (or sometimes F8 or higher). For example, Ctrl+Alt+F1 might switch to tty1, Ctrl+Alt+F2 to tty2, and so on, with Ctrl+Alt+F7 usually returning to the graphical session on tty7. This allows users to access text-only consoles for troubleshooting or running specific command-line tools even when a graphical interface is active.