::

   VV       VV  LL          OOO       CCCCC  KK   KK
    VV     VV   LL        OO   OO   CC       KK KK    originally written by
     VV   VV    LL       OO     OO  CC       KK        Michael K. Johnson
      VV VV     LL        OO   OO   CC       KK KK    for Linux Journal
       VVV      LLLLLLLL    OOO       CCCCC  KK   KK


This is vlock, the Linux _V_irtual Console locking program.  It
allows you to lock one or all of the sessions of your Linux console
display.

Usage is very simple; by default, vlock locks the single console
you are on.  The -a or --all flags cause it to lock the console
completely, so that users cannot switch to another virtual
console.

If you are working on a shared Linux computer, and want to lock
a console session as you left it, but want to allow other users
to log onto other sessions, simply run vlock when you leave the
computer.

If you want to lock the console so that no one else can log onto
any of the virtual consoles (perhaps because you have login sessions
running on several other virtual consoles at the same time), you
use the -a or --all flag to cause vlock to not allow any user
to switch to any console without typing your password.

  WARNING: If you lock all the consoles, they will be *really*
  locked.  Unless you have a serial terminal, or can log in
  remotely via a network to kill vlock, you *will not* be able
  to get back to your terminal session without entering the
  correct password.  If you loose data because you have to reset
  your computer because of vlock -a, it is your own problem,
  not mine.  I warned you.

The root password will *always* be able to unlock any vlock
session [1]_.

vlock consists of several binaries some of which have to be installed
as setuid root to function correctly.  Please refer to SECURITY for a
detailed description.

"vlock -h" or "vlock --help" will get you a help message.

To run vlock on a new VC, use the -n or --new flag.  If installed with
proper permissions this even works from an X11 session.

vlock is maintained by Frank Benkstein <frank-vlock@benkstein.net>.

.. [1] This is a compile time option and can be disabled with the
    USE_ROOT_PASS compile flag.
