Random question: Why are there multiple virtual consoles?

I'm very interested in every single detail of some things and that has spawned a random question.
Why do we have multiple virtual consoles(proper term?) ?  i.e. if I am looking at my desktop I can simply hit ctrl-alt-f3 for example, and poof!  I'm at a new login prompt.
What is/are the purpose(s) for this feature?  Can someone name off some scenarios?
Thanks!

Forgotten Path wrote:
How so?  I tried running
virtualbox --startvm Windoze
on a virtual console and received an error about finding the X server.
Here is my ~/.xinitrc
#xset b off
setxkbmap -option ctrl:nocaps
case $WM in
kde)
ck-launch-session dbus-launch startkde
gnome)
ck-launch-session dbus-launch gnome-session
compiz)
~/bin/compiz&
ck-launch-session dbus-launch compiz ccp
#ck-launch-session dbus-launch fusion-icon
lxde)
~/bin/lxde&
ck-launch-session dbus-launch startlxde
openbox)
~/bin/openbox&
ck-launch-session dbus-launch openbox
e17)
ck-launch-session dbus-launch
enlightenment_start
vb)
VirtualBox -startvm "Windows XP" -fullscreen
xfce4)
ck-launch-session dbus-launch startxfce4
i3)
ck-launch-session dbus-launch i3
ck-launch-session dbus-launch startxfce4
esac
From the console, use :
WM=vb startx
or, if there is already something running on Screen 0 (OpenBox, Xfce4, whatever) simply:
WM=vb startx -- :1
Note that the examples start VitutalBox.  I could just as easily set WM to any of the other environments defined in my .xinitrc.
I have also made this work straight from kdm.  I think I created a custom session, but I may have created a .desktop file in /usr/share/apps/kdm/sessions/ 
I am not using kdm on this machine and I don't remember
edit: Typo
Last edited by ewaller (2012-02-11 23:14:09)

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