The
system console,
computer console,
root console,
operator's console, or simply
console is the text entry and display device for system administration messages, particularly those from the
BIOS or
boot loader, the
kernel, from the
init system and from the
system logger. It is a physical device consisting of a keyboard and a screen, and traditionally is a
text terminal, but may also be a
graphical terminal. System consoles are generalized to
computer terminals, which are abstracted respectively by
virtual consoles and
terminal emulators. Today communication with system consoles is generally done abstractly, via the
standard streams (
stdin,
stdout, and
stderr), but there may be system-specific interfaces, for example those used by the system kernel.