How to use agetty from the command line

After reading more on the internets I found out that a newer version of systemd requires a kernel with configuration option CONFIG_FHANDLE=y - however, this option is not present on the kernel version included in the official banana-pi ArchLinux image (3.4.90).

I recompiled the kernel with the option included and now the login prompt appears as expected -> everything is great.

For those interested in compiling the newer kernel (3.4.103+ at the time of this writing) I followed the instructions provided here on a virtual Ubuntu Server 14.04. Did not encounter any problems. I only followed to a point where I had kernel compiled - I did not create a new SD image.

Update

The official Banana Pi Arch Linux image now contains the new kernel version 3.4.103 so there is no need to recompile.

Bash needs to put the terminal into character-at-a-time mode while it's waiting for you to type in a command line, so that you can edit the command line using emacs or vi-like editing characters. That's the mode you saw when you looked at the terminal's attributes from another terminal in your example.

Just before it runs a program (in your example, stty), bash puts the terminal back into canonical mode, where you have just a few special editing characters available courtesy of the operating system, such as backspace and Control-W, and basically the program gets input only after you type Enter.

When bash regains control, say after the program finishes or is suspended, it will put the terminal into character-at-a-time mode again.