Please post the output from the following command when logged in as the user:

tty

ls -lisad /var/adm/wtmp
ls -lisad /usr/adm/wtmp

bdf /usr /var

Logged in as user

$ tty
/dev/ttyp1
$


Logged in as root
# ls -lisad /var/adm/wtmp
24 96 -rw-rw-r-- 1 adm adm 46260 Nov 25 16:29 /var/adm/wtmp
# ls -lisad /usr/adm/wtmp
24 96 -rw-rw-r-- 1 adm adm 46260 Nov 25 16:29 /usr/adm/wtmp
# bdf /usr /var
Filesystem kbytes used avail %used Mounted on
/dev/vg00/lvol7 10485760 3814240 6619488 37% /usr
/dev/vg00/lvol8 10485760 2034584 8385424 20% /var
#

Logged in as root
# who -R
root pts/ta Dec 7 22:47 (1IMAGE)
awrpt pts/tb Dec 7 11:00 (DUKE-TESTKRON)
awrpt pts/tc Dec 7 11:00 (DUKE-TESTKRON)
root pts/td Dec 7 22:58 (1IMAGE)
# who -m
root pts/td Dec 7 22:58
# who -mR
root pts/td Dec 7 22:58 (1IMAGE)
# who am i
root pts/td Dec 7 22:58
# who am i -R
root pts/td Dec 7 22:58 (1IMAGE)
#


Logged as user
$ who -R
root pts/ta Dec 7 22:47 (1IMAGE)
awrpt pts/tb Dec 7 11:00 (DUKE-TESTKRON)
awrpt pts/tc Dec 7 11:00 (DUKE-TESTKRON)
dw pts/td Dec 7 23:00 (1IMAGE)
$ who -m
$ who -mR
$ who am i
$ who am i -R
$

This bit makes no sense:

$

The device name does not appear in your "who -R" list. Looks like some sort of serial terminal.


Please check permissions on your "/etc/hosts" file. Usually 644 .


Did you post the permissions of your "/etc/utmp" file ? Usually 644 .

The problem is not the -R option but the -m option.

# ls -al /etc/hosts
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 627 Dec 3 14:25 /etc/hosts
# ls -al /etc/utmp
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root sys 0 Dec 9 09:31 /etc/utmp
#

$ tty
/dev/ttyp1
$ who -R
root console Dec 9 09:27 (HP3600)
dw pts/ta Dec 9 09:55 (1IMAGE)
awrpt pts/tb Dec 7 11:00 (DUKE-TESTKRON)
awrpt pts/tc Dec 7 11:00 (DUKE-TESTKRON)
root pts/td Dec 8 13:10 (1IMAGE)
$
$ who
root console Dec 9 09:27
dw pts/ta Dec 9 09:55
awrpt pts/tb Dec 7 11:00
awrpt pts/tc Dec 7 11:00
root pts/td Dec 8 13:10
$
$ who -m
$