Terminal

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	World object Terminal
	Desktop (left) and wall-mounted (right) terminals in Falllou 3 and Fallout: New Vegas
	class computer

 

A terminal is a common name for an electronic device used to interface with various computer systems, from databanks through turrets to doors and robots. There is a great variety of terminal types in every Fallout game.

Fallout and Fallout 2

The terminals in Fallout 1 and 2 can be used with the skilldex science if it's high enough. In Fallout 1 it is also possible to exploit back doors in computers to gain access, such as playing a game of 21.

Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas

Terminal types

Each computer runs on RobCo Industries' Unified Operating System and communicate with another machine (or its internal components, if it was upgraded with some) via RobCo's Termlink Interface 3.0. All commands are text based. Booting the computer is handled by another RobCo program, the MF Boot Agent v2.3.0, which in turn initialized the RBIOS (latest pre-War version is 4.02.08.00 52EE5.E7.E8).

There is one, persistent problem with the operating system: anyone with a basic understanding of information technology could run the command SET FILE/PROTECTION=OWNER:RWED ACCOUNTS.F, reboot the terminal (with SET HALT RESTART/MAINT) and (with the RUN DEBUG/ACCOUNTS.F command) debug accounts, forcing a memory dump. The user password was always included in the dump, giving the hacker the ability to access protected items. The only fix introduced by RobCo was a lockout feature, which prevented access to the computer until an administrator unlocked it. If the terminal locks you out the only way to hack the terminal is to have the Computer Whiz perk, which grants you an extra chance to hack the terminal.

Desktop

The most popular type of terminal is a standalone machine with a large cathode ray tube display (in green) and all the necessary components built into a single, full metal case with an integrated alphanumeric keyboard, four function keys and two knobs for regulating the monitor. Internally, they are powered by a whooping 64 kilobytes of RAM. Typically, these terminals are dumb, i.e. simply provide interface for a bigger machine, but some users (particularly after the War) have upgraded them with an internal drive for storing information, turning them into heavy, cumbersome personal computers.

Trapped terminal

This desktop terminal has been rigged with a grenade to explode when keys are pressed. Activating this terminal will cause it to explode after a brief delay. These are identical in appearance to other desktops, with the sole difference being a rotating antenna protruding from the back of the case.

An Explosives skill of at least 45 (60 if playing Fallout: New Vegas) is required to disarm this trap in return for a single frag grenade and an experience reward. To disarm, the rear panel of the terminal needs to be activated. It can be later rearmed with any grenade.

Wall-mounted

The second most popular type is a wall mounted terminal, built a little differently. The monitor was housed in a separate metal case, with the rest of the components placed in the metal fixture to which it was attached on a pivoting mount. Connected to the monitor case was an alphanumeric keyboard on two retractable arms and side-mounted knobs for regulating display.

Wall-mounted console

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Alien terminal

There are terminals scattered around Mothership Zeta, used by the aliens for security purposes. With an appropriate Science skill (non-minigame skill check requiring 25 to 75 Science) they can be hacked and set to explode (either with a short time delay or as a proximity charge) or unlock doors. They are also unique in that they can be destroyed by the player with weapons.

Alien holo-terminal

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Accessing a terminal

Most terminals in the game are secured and the player is required to obtain access through either:

• Finding the correct password (which may be placed on another terminal, holotape or other objects, like encryption keys).
• Hacking the terminal through a minigame based on the player character's Science skill.

Usually only one or two of these options are available.

Passwords and encryption keys

A terminal password, presented in the Notes section of your Pip-Boy.

Passwords are found in the game world on other computers, pieces of paper, holotapes and other objects. They may also be given to the player by non-player characters. All of these are automatically added to the player's inventory as Notes.

Some computers may require an item such as an encryption key or a similar device to use. These items are identical to passwords in function. The only difference is that the terminal will not require a password, but will display gibberish until the corresponding key is found.

Hacking terminals

A typical hacking session on a terminal.

Terminal level	Science skill requirement	Password length	XP reward
Very Easy	15	4-5	20
Easy	25	6-8	30
Average	50	9-10	40
Hard	75	11-12	50
Very Hard	100	13-15	60

Hacking can be done if the terminal is hackable (some, usually quest-related, terminals are set as locked, meaning they can only be accessed with the correct password) and the player character's Science skill is high enough (see table to the right). The game is paused during the hack.

The process takes the form of a minigame, started by activating a hackable terminal. It is a variation of the Mastermind board game: the terminal displays two continuous blocks of text with several valid words included in it, all of the same length. The player needs to guess which one is the correct password in four attempts or less. The minigame can be reset by turning off the terminal display at any time without consequences, making the Computer Whiz perk useless.

If the player picks the wrong word, it is displayed to the right of the blocks of text along with two numbers, showing how many letters in the word are part of the password and in the correct place. For example, if the player chooses the word EYE, when the password is EVE, the terminal will display that 2/3 letters (E in this case) are correct.

In addition to words, the player can also select text strings enclosed in matching brackets (i.e. [], (), <> and {}). The bracket is invalid (will not highlight) if there is a potential password between. If a valid string is selected, it does not count against the number of attempts and either removes a "dud" (incorrect word) or restores the number of attempts. The effect is determined completely at random.

When the correct password is picked, the terminal unlocks and an experience award is given to the player, depending on the hack difficulty (see table for details).

Interactions

Upon accessing the terminal the player will typically be displayed a number of options:

• Text entries usually give background information or deliver plot exposition. On rare occasions, they may also include passwords or triggers for quests and scripted events (e.g. the launch computer in Fort Constantine or the tactical nuclear satellite terminal in SatCom Array NW-05a).
• Targeting parameters are accessible only on terminals marked as turret control and give the opportunity to make turrets attack characters and creatures hostile to the player (or even turn them on to do this).
• Unlocking options open doors and containers linked with the terminal. This is very commonplace in Fallout 3, but much more rare in Fallout: New Vegas. Note that the player can decline to use the option and double the experience gained by lockpicking the target object.
• Other unique functions including riddles (e.g. Jiggs' Loot), text adventures (e.g. Reign of Grelok) or quizzes (e.g. National Archives historical quizzes).

Notes

• Outfits (such as the vault lab uniform or scientist outfits) can be used to boost the Science skill in order to meet the skill requirement for hacking.
• The same goes for Programer's Digest magazines in Fallout: New Vegas, which give a sizeable 10 (or 20, with the Comprehension perk) point bonus.
• Passwords are chosen at random from a sizeable list of words. This can cause post-War words (such as Nightkin or Deathclaw) to appear in the minigame on terminals that haven't been disturbed since before the war. The list for Average difficulty minigames also contains one of the few misspellings (if Fallout: New Vegas is being played): "LEUTENANT", instead of "Lieutenant".
• When selecting a bracketed text string when there is only one selectable word left it will have no effect and simply say, "Entry Denied"

List of hackable terminals (Fallout 3)

For the Data Miner achievement/trophy, you need to find 50 terminals to hack.

Place (or closest map marker)	Location in place	Skill level	Purpose	How Many	Bad Karma?
Alexandria Arms	Second floor	Average	Unlocks door to Storeroom	1	No
Arlington Library	Library lobby	Easy	Information	4	No
Arlington Library	Arlington Library Media Archive middle floor	Average	Turret control	4	No
Arlington Library	Arlington Library Media Archive top floor	Average	Turret control	4	No
Arlington Library	Arlington Library Media Archive top floor	Average	Unlocks safe	4	No
Anacostia Crossing Station	near Seward Square exit	Average	Protectron	1
Anchorage War Memorial	At the top of the steps leading to the Anchorage Memorial Facility Bay	Average	Unlock Door	1
Bethesda Ruins	Bethesda Offices East	Average	Turret control	2
Bethesda Ruins	Bethesda Offices West	Average	Turret control	2
Capital Wasteland	Southeast of the Arlington Library at a Talon Company checkpoint	Average	Turret Control	1
Capital Wasteland	Southeast of Flooded Metro on a bridge near a raider encampment	Average	Turret Control	1
Citadel	In the Clinic, Ring B	Very Hard	Information	3	Yes
Citadel	Squire Maxon's Room, Ring B	Very Easy	Information	3
Citadel	Elder Lyons room, Ring B	Very Hard	Information	3
Dunwich Building	Forsaken Dunwich Ruins	Easy	Story Infos	1
Dunwich Building	Forsaken Dunwich Ruins, Second Level, Behind Average Locked Door	Easy	Story of a scavenger who holed himself up in the room waiting for a 'Billy'. His corpse and gear can be found at your feet.	1
Dupont Circle Station	In the room before the cavern, behind a door	Average	Turret Control	2
Dupont Circle Station	South of the Collapsed Car Tunnel exit.	Very Easy	Protecton Robot control	2
Enclave Field Research: Crater Camp	Just west of Fort Bannister	Average	Information	1
Fairfax Ruins	Southeast of, halfway to Andale	Average	Turret control	1
Falls Church/Mason Dst Metro	Near the entrance of Franklin Metro Utility	Easy	Unlocks Door	1
Farragut West Station	Office near entrance	Very Easy	Protector Robot control	1
Foggy Bottom station	Near the entrance of Dupont Circle	Average	Protectron Robot control	1
Fort Bannister	Fort Bannister Bunker	Easy	Turret Control System	3
Fort Bannister	Commanding Officer's Quarters	Average	Unlocks door	3
Fort Bannister	Commanding Officer's Quarters	Average	Turret Control System	3
Fort Independence	Fort Independence Lower Level	Average	Turret Control System	2
Fort Independence	Fort Independence Lower Level	Hard	Unlocks Door	2
Franklin Metro Utility	Right after entering	Hard	Unlocks safe	2
Franklin Metro Utility	Below of first room	Hard	Turret Control	2
Germantown Police HQ	Ground Floor	Very Hard	Unlocks jail cell doors	4
Germantown Police HQ	Ground Floor	Very Hard	Unlocks contraband closet	4
Germantown Police HQ	Top Floor	Very Hard	Information	4
Germantown Police HQ	Top Floor	Easy	Unlocks safe	4
Grayditch	Doctor Lesko's Shack	Average	Information related to Those!	2
Grayditch	Brandice's House	Easy	Information	2
Greener Pastures Disposal Site	Offices	Average	Unlocks safe	1
Jefferson Memorial	Jefferson Museum and Gift Shop	Average	Turret Control System	1
Jefferson Memorial	Jefferson Museum and Gift Shop	Very Easy	Scribe Bigsley's terminal, Only in Broken Steel	1
Jury Street Metro Station	Jury St. Tunnels	Very Easy	Unlocks safe	1
Little Lamplight	The Great Chamber, northwest corner	Average	Opens Vault 87 Reactor Door (see Joseph)	1
L.O.B. Enterprises	East Wing, northwest corner	Very Hard	Info on unique pistol	1
Lucky's	Inside, on a counter	Hard	Unlocks scavenger's safe	1
Marigold Metro Station	Left of behind subway car near flashing light	Easy	Unlocks door	2
Marigold Metro Station	Dr. Lesko's Office	Average	Unlocks access door and notes	2
MDPL Mass Relay Station	Inside Power Station	Very Hard	Unlocks safe	1
MDPL-13 Power Station	Derelict Power Plant, inside upper office	Average	Unlocks safe	3
MDPL-13 Power Station	Derelict Power Plant, inside lower office	Hard	Turret Control	3
MDPL-13 Power Station	Inside power substation, on desk	Hard	Unlocks safe	3
MDPL-16 Power Station	Power Substation	Average	Unlocks safe	1
MDPL-21 Power Station	Power Substation	Hard	Unlocks safe	1
Megaton	Children of Atom	Very Easy	Information	5	Yes
Megaton	Craterside Supply	Very Easy	Information	5	Yes
Megaton	Megaton armory	Hard	Deactivating Deputy Steel and Weld	5	Yes
Megaton	Moriarty's saloon	Average	Information (Finding out where dad went)	5	Yes
Megaton	The Brass Lantern	Very Easy	Information and unlocks safe	5	Yes
Meresti Service Tunnel	Meresti Trainyard Station Entry terminal	Very Hard	Information	1
Meresti Metro Station	The Family's terminal	Very Hard	Information	3
Meresti Metro Station	The Family's terminal #2	Very Hard	Information	3
Meresti Metro Station	Vance's terminal	Very Hard	Information and Unlock safe	3
Museum of History	Lower Hall - Top of Staircase on right	Average	Turret Control	2	No
Museum of History	Offices - Go left at the top of the stairs, then go left after the Very Hard door	Average	Turret Control	2	No
Museum of Technology	Atrium, In the Security Station	Average	Turret Control	4
Museum of Technology	West Wing, In the Security Station	Average	Turret Control	4
Museum of Technology	West Wing, In the Security Station	Average	Information	4
Museum of Technology	West Wing, in the Planetarium Control Room	Easy	Unlocks planetarium exit door (if you have less than 50 lockpick and cant unlock it)	4
National Archives	Next to archives sub-basement door	Easy	Unlocks door	1
National Guard Depot	Offices Wing, behind a locked door (average) on the other side of the wall (go up the stars and down the other side) there is an unlocked door that goes to the same room.	Average	Disable turrets	4	No
National Guard Depot	Training Wing	Average	Disable turrets	4	No
National Guard Depot	National Guard Depot	Average	Disable turrets (#1)	4	No
National Guard Depot	National Guard Depot	Average	Disable turrets (#2)	4	No
Northwest Seneca Station	Inside Grocer, on counter	Easy	Unlocks safe	1
Nuka-Cola Plant	South East of Wasteland	Very Easy	Activating Convoy Belt for Nuka-Cola Quantum's	2
Nuka-Cola Plant	Storage and Mixing V.A.T.S.	Very Easy	Activating security protectron	2
Olney Powerworks (Broken Steel Add-on)	Olney Powerworks	Very Hard	Unlocks Door to Tesla Coil	2	No
Olney Powerworks (Broken Steel Add-on)	Olney Powerworks	Hard	Machine Fail safe for Electrical Field around Tesla Coil	2	No
Our Lady of Hope Hospital	First floor	Average	Information (Nurse Station 01)	4
Our Lady of Hope Hospital	First floor, north	Average	Information (Nurse Station 02)	4
Our Lady of Hope Hospital	Inside entrance, near reception	Average	Turret Control System	4
Our Lady of Hope Hospital	Second floor, dead end to the east	Average	Information (Nurse Station 03)	4
Outcast Outpost	In Protector McGraw's chamber. (Operation: Anchorage)	Very Easy	Information	1
Paradise Falls	In Eulogy's Pad, on the table with the SpeechBobblehead near the heart bed	Average	Use in quest Rescue from Paradise	1
Queen Ant's Hatchery	Accessed from Marigold Metro Station	Average	Use in quest Those!	1
Raven Rock	Level 1B, Delivery terminal	Average	Unlocks Cage #364	3
Raven Rock	Level 1B	Average	Disables Force Field	3
Raven Rock	Level 2C, same room as Bobblehead - Energy Weapons	Average	Disables Force Field	3
Red Racer Factory	CEO Offices	Average	Disable chip broadcast	3
Red Racer Factory	CEO Offices	Average	Surgeon's Notes	3
Red Racer Factory	CEO Offices	Average	Surgeon's Notes & disable chip broadcast	3
Rivet City	Midship Deck, Abraham Washington's room	Average	Information	8	Yes
Rivet City	Midship Deck, Seagrave Holmes's room	Average	Information	8	No
Rivet City	Tower (2 terminals)	Very Easy	Information	8	No
Rivet City	Upper Deck, Clinic	Average	Information	8	Yes
Rivet City	Upper Deck, Doctor Li's room	Easy	Information	8	Yes
Rivet City	Upper Deck, Bannon's room	Easy	Information	8	Yes
Rivet City	Upper Deck, hotel lobby	Very Easy	Information	8	Yes
RobCo Factory	Upper Level - Offices and Cafeteria	Average	Robot control	1
Roosevelt Academy	Ground Floor - Admin Office	Very Easy	Protectron	2
Roosevelt Academy	Ground Floor - Nurse Office	Hard	Open safe	2
SatCom Array NN-03d	Tower C	Very Easy	Open Door	1
SatCom Array NW-05a	Southeast of Raven Rock	Average	Turret Control	1
Steelyard	In front of a line of 4 protectron's	Hard	4 protectron's	1
Super Duper Mart	In a storage area the back of the store, next to the protectron.	Very Easy	Protectron	2
Super Duper Mart	Office at the back of the store.	Easy	Opens door to the storage area to the right of the terminal.	2
Taft Tunnels	Before the flood door	Very hard	?	1
Tenpenny Tower	In Boutique Le Chic, 1st Floor	Average	Unlocks safe	4	Yes
Tenpenny Tower	In New Urban Apparel, 1st Floor	Average	Unlocks safe	4	Yes
Tenpenny Tower	In the Federalist Lounge, 1st Floor	Easy	Store Discount	4
Tenpenny Tower	Metro Access & Generator around back of the tower	Easy	Unlock containment door for Tenpenny Tower	4
Tepid Sewer	To the left of the entrance	Average	Control automated turrets	2
Tepid Sewer	Outside Rocksalt's storage room	Easy	Unlocks Rocksalt's storage room	2
Underworld	Winthrop's Room	Average	Information/Unlocks safe	4	Yes
Underworld	The Chop Shop	Very Easy	Information	4	Yes
Underworld	The Ninth Circle	Very Easy	Information/Unlocks safe	4	Yes
Underworld	Underworld Outfitters	Very Easy	Information	4	Yes
VAPL-58 Power Station	Inside building	Very Hard	Unlocks safe	1
Vault 87	Living Quarters	Average	Information/Unlocks safe	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Isolation Room 01	Hard	Unlocks Door	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Isolation Room 02	Hard	Unlocks Door	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Isolation Room 03	Hard	Unlocks Door	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Isolation Room 04	Hard	Unlocks Door	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Isolation Room 05	Hard	Unlocks Door	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Lab Tehnician	Average	Unlocks Door	8
Vault 87	Test Labs, Medical Wing Maintenance	Average	Unlocks Door(s)	8
Vault 92	Living Quarters	Average	Women's Dorm Security terminal	5
Vault 92	Living Quarters	Average	Men's Dorm Security terminal	5
Vault 92	Living Quarters	Hard	Data Storage Entry	5
Vault 92	Living Quarters	Average	Security terminal	5
Vault 92	Atrium	Average	Supply Shop	5
Vault 101	Interrogation room during Trouble on the Homefront	Average	Opens cell, Information (this terminal is unlocked during Escape!)	3
Vault 101	Overseer's office	Very Easy	Opens tunnel, Information	3	No
Vault 101	Sub-Level	Hard	Information	3
Vault 106	Entrance, security room	Very Easy	Information	2
Vault 106	Living Quarters, Overseers office	Very Hard	Information	2
Vault 112	Tranquility Pod Floor	Hard	Unlocks door to Supply Room	1
Vault-Tec Headquarters	Vault-Tec Administration, Lower Floor, northeast corner	Average	Disable turrets	2
Vault-Tec Headquarters	Vault-Tec Administration, Upper Floor	Average	Disable turrets	2
Wheaton Armory	Bottom of missile silo	Average	Turret control	2
Wheaton Armory	Bottom of missile silo	Very Hard	Unlocks Door	2
Greener Pastures Disposal Site	In the offices of the disposal site on a table when you walk in to the offices	Average	Unlocks safe	2

List of hackable terminals (Fallout: New Vegas)

For the Hack the Mojave achievement/trophy you must hack 25 terminals

Place (or closest map marker)	Location in place	Skill level	Purpose	How Many	Bad Karma?
Black Mountain	Prison building	Very Hard	Password/disengage lock	1	No
Black Mountain	Broadcast building 1st floor	Easy	Background info	2	No
Camp Golf	House Resort	Easy-Hard	Ranger info	2	Easy-No Hard-Yes
Camp McCarran	Inside a tent in front of Camp McCarran terminal building entrance	Very Easy	NCR Ranger Mail	2	No
Camp McCarran	Camp McCarran supply shack	Average	Download Weapons Manifest used in Dealing with Contreras Quest	2	Yes
Camp Searchlight	Around the turrets	Very Easy-Very Hard	Turret control	5	No
Forbidden Zone Old World Blues	X-42 Robo-Warfare Facility	Very Hard	Emergency Shutdown of the X-42 giant robo-scorpion	1	No
Gomorrah	Big Sal's Office	Average	Disengage lock	1	No
Goodsprings	Goodsprings schoolhouse	Easy	Disengage safe lock	2	No
Goodsprings	Prospector Saloon	Easy	Disengage safe lock	2	Yes
H&H Tools Factory	2nd floor	Average	Background info	1	No
Hidden Valley bunker	L1	Very Easy-Hard	Journal entry's/turret access	4	Yes
Hidden Valley bunker	L2	Very hard	Self destruction	1	Yes
Lucky 38	casino	Hard	Quest related	1	No
Lucky 38	Penthouse	Hard		1	No
Police Station Dead Money	In the same room as Dog/God	Hard	Disengage Door lock	1	No
Primm	Bison Steve Hotel	Easy	Disengage Door lock	1	No
REPCONN Headquarters	3 FL1, 2 FL2, 2 FL3	Very Easy-Very Hard	Disengage lock/Background info/Bypass security	7	No
Sunset Sarsaparilla Headquarters	Factory Floor	Very Easy-Average	Background info	3	No
Two Skies Cave Honest Hearts	In front of the Electric Door	Average	Disengage Electric Door Lock	1	No
Vault 3	Maintenance Wing	Average	Disengage lock	2	No
Vault 3	Living Quarters	Average-Hard	Disengage lock	3	No
Vault 3	Left of vault entrance	Very Easy	Close access panel	1	No
Vault 21	Gift Shop	Very Hard	Background info	1	Yes
Vault 21	Sarah´s room	Easy	Sarah Weintraub´s Mail	1	Yes
Vault 11		Hard	Disengage lock	1	No
Villa ClinicDead Money	2nd Floor inside a locked office	Easy	Journal entry's	1	No
X-8 Research Center Old World Blues	X-8 Institutional Test Facility 1st Floor	Average	Turret Control	2	No
X-8 Research Center Old World Blues	X-8 Institutional Test Facility 2nd Floor	Easy	Turret Control	2	No
X-13 research facility Old World Blues	X-13 Stealth Testing Lab directly across the elevator	Hard	No Function	1	No

Gallery

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  Concept art by Adam Adamowicz