In Unix terminology, the terms terminal, tty, console, and shell are closely related. Originally, they referred to the equipment used to interact with a computer, such as teleprinter-style devices or electronic keyboards and displays. In Unix, a tty is a device file that implements additional commands beyond read and write, making it synonymous with terminal. Some ttys are provided by the kernel, while others are provided by terminal emulators. A console is the primary terminal directly connected to a machine, appearing as a tty in the operating system. A shell is the primary interface users see when they log in, used to start other programs. There are various Unix shells, with the most common being based on the Bourne shell. The tasks of the terminal and shell involve converting input and output, providing line editing and completion, handling prompts and output history, enabling copy-paste, and managing job control.
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