diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index a599d7f..2e69cdf 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,13 +4,8 @@ version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2018"
 
 [workspace]
-members = [".", "frontends/moa-console", "frontends/moa-minifb"]
+members = [".", "frontends/moa-common", "frontends/moa-console", "frontends/moa-minifb"]
 default-members = ["frontends/moa-console"]
 
-[features]
-default = ["tty"]
-tty = ["nix"]
-
 [dependencies]
-nix = { version = "0.23", optional = true }
 
diff --git a/frontends/moa-common/Cargo.toml b/frontends/moa-common/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35f26f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontends/moa-common/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[package]
+name = "moa-common"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2018"
+
+[features]
+tty = ["nix"]
+
+[dependencies]
+moa = { path = "../../" }
+nix = { version = "0.23", optional = true }
+
diff --git a/frontends/moa-common/src/lib.rs b/frontends/moa-common/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72fdffd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontends/moa-common/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+
+pub mod tty;
+
diff --git a/src/host/tty.rs b/frontends/moa-common/src/tty.rs
similarity index 96%
rename from src/host/tty.rs
rename to frontends/moa-common/src/tty.rs
index 1e997fa..30672eb 100644
--- a/src/host/tty.rs
+++ b/frontends/moa-common/src/tty.rs
@@ -3,14 +3,13 @@ use std::thread;
 use std::sync::mpsc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 use std::io::{Read, Write};
-use std::os::unix::io::AsRawFd;
 
 use nix::fcntl::OFlag;
 use nix::pty::{self, PtyMaster};
 use nix::fcntl::{fcntl, FcntlArg};
 
-use crate::error::Error;
-use crate::host::traits::Tty;
+use moa::error::Error;
+use moa::host::traits::Tty;
 
 
 pub struct SimplePty {
diff --git a/frontends/moa-console/Cargo.toml b/frontends/moa-console/Cargo.toml
index 56c9f61..d2b8103 100644
--- a/frontends/moa-console/Cargo.toml
+++ b/frontends/moa-console/Cargo.toml
@@ -5,5 +5,6 @@ edition = "2018"
 default-run = "moa-computie"
 
 [dependencies]
-moa = { path = "../../", features = ["tty"] }
+moa = { path = "../../" }
+moa-common = { path = "../moa-common", features = ["tty"] }
 
diff --git a/frontends/moa-console/src/lib.rs b/frontends/moa-console/src/lib.rs
index f81046e..c554af9 100644
--- a/frontends/moa-console/src/lib.rs
+++ b/frontends/moa-console/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,10 +1,15 @@
 
 use moa::error::Error;
-use moa::host::traits::{Host, WindowUpdater};
+use moa::host::traits::{Host, Tty, WindowUpdater};
 
 pub struct ConsoleFrontend;
 
 impl Host for ConsoleFrontend {
+    fn create_pty(&self) -> Result<Box<dyn Tty>, Error> {
+        use moa_common::tty::SimplePty;
+        Ok(Box::new(SimplePty::open()?))
+    }
+
     fn add_window(&mut self, updater: Box<dyn WindowUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error> {
         println!("console: add_window() is not supported from the console; ignoring request...");
         Ok(())
diff --git a/src/host/traits.rs b/src/host/traits.rs
index bb00c1c..e4c6744 100644
--- a/src/host/traits.rs
+++ b/src/host/traits.rs
@@ -6,10 +6,21 @@ use crate::host::keys::Key;
 use crate::host::controllers::{ControllerDevice, ControllerEvent};
 
 pub trait Host {
-    //fn create_pty(&self) -> Result<Box<dyn Tty>, Error>;
-    fn add_window(&mut self, updater: Box<dyn WindowUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error>;
-    fn register_controller(&mut self, _device: ControllerDevice, _input: Box<dyn ControllerUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error> { Err(Error::new("Not supported")) }
-    fn register_keyboard(&mut self, _input: Box<dyn KeyboardUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error> { Err(Error::new("Not supported")) }
+    fn create_pty(&self) -> Result<Box<dyn Tty>, Error> {
+        Err(Error::new("This frontend doesn't support PTYs"))
+    }
+
+    fn add_window(&mut self, updater: Box<dyn WindowUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Err(Error::new("This frontend doesn't support windows"))
+    }
+
+    fn register_controller(&mut self, _device: ControllerDevice, _input: Box<dyn ControllerUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Err(Error::new("This frontend doesn't support game controllers"))
+    }
+
+    fn register_keyboard(&mut self, _input: Box<dyn KeyboardUpdater>) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        Err(Error::new("This frontend doesn't support the keyboard"))
+    }
 }
 
 pub trait Tty {
diff --git a/src/machines/computie.rs b/src/machines/computie.rs
index a570969..8fc5ab5 100644
--- a/src/machines/computie.rs
+++ b/src/machines/computie.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ use crate::peripherals::ata::AtaDevice;
 use crate::peripherals::mc68681::MC68681;
 
 use crate::host::traits::Host;
-use crate::host::tty::SimplePty;
 
 
 pub fn build_computie<H: Host>(host: &H) -> Result<System, Error> {
@@ -27,8 +26,8 @@ pub fn build_computie<H: Host>(host: &H) -> Result<System, Error> {
     system.add_addressable_device(0x00600000, wrap_transmutable(ata))?;
 
     let mut serial = MC68681::new();
-    launch_terminal_emulator(serial.port_a.connect(Box::new(SimplePty::open()?))?);
-    launch_slip_connection(serial.port_b.connect(Box::new(SimplePty::open()?))?);
+    launch_terminal_emulator(serial.port_a.connect(host.create_pty()?)?);
+    launch_slip_connection(serial.port_b.connect(host.create_pty()?)?);
     system.add_addressable_device(0x00700000, wrap_transmutable(serial))?;
 
 
@@ -65,8 +64,8 @@ pub fn build_computie_k30<H: Host>(host: &H) -> Result<System, Error> {
     system.add_addressable_device(0x00600000, wrap_transmutable(ata))?;
 
     let mut serial = MC68681::new();
-    launch_terminal_emulator(serial.port_a.connect(Box::new(SimplePty::open()?))?);
-    //launch_slip_connection(serial.port_b.connect(Box::new(SimplePty::open()?))?);
+    launch_terminal_emulator(serial.port_a.connect(host.create_pty()?)?);
+    //launch_slip_connection(serial.port_b.connect(host.create_pty()?)?);
     system.add_addressable_device(0x00700000, wrap_transmutable(serial))?;