unlockptfd

Unlockptfd is a software utility and library that provides a simplified interface for working with pseudo-terminals on Unix-like systems. It encapsulates the common PTY preparation steps in a single, reusable API, making it easier to obtain an unlocked master or slave PTY file descriptor for interactive sessions, automated testing, and terminal emulation tasks.

Its core functionality combines the traditional PTY operations: opening a PTY with posix_openpt, enabling the slave device with grantpt and unlockpt, and resolving the slave device path with ptsname. By presenting these steps as a cohesive workflow, unlockptfd helps reduce boilerplate and error handling in programs that spawn shells or remote processes.

The project is designed for POSIX-compatible environments and provides C library code with optional bindings for higher-level languages such as Rust and Python. It translates system errors into a consistent API and offers both a programmatic API and a small command-line interface for quick experimentation.

Typical usage involves requesting an unlocked PTY through unlockptfd, receiving a file descriptor for the PTY, and then using fork/exec or similar mechanisms to start a child process that ties to the PTY. It emphasizes safe handling of ownership, permissions, and cleanup to avoid resource leaks.

See also: posix_openpt, grantpt, unlockpt, pseudo-terminal, PTY, terminal emulator.