ctermid - Linux

Overview

ctermid returns the name of the controlling terminal for a user. It is typically used to generate unique filenames for temporary files or other purposes that require a unique identifier associated with the user’s session.

Syntax

ctermid()

Options/Flags

None

Examples

Example 1: Get the name of the current terminal

$ ctermid
/dev/pts/1

Example 2: Generate a temporary filename based on the terminal name

$ mktemp /tmp/my_temp_file.$$$(ctermid)
/tmp/my_temp_file.12345

Common Issues

None

Integration

ctermid can be combined with other commands to create unique identifiers or temporary files. For example, it can be used with mktemp to create a temporary file in the current working directory:

mktemp $$(ctermid)

Related Commands

• tty – Returns the name of the terminal for a given file descriptor.
• ptsname – Returns the name of a pseudo-terminal device.
• ttyname – Returns the name of the terminal associated with a given file descriptor.