Homework & Coursework Questions

No problem.


Then read again. agama even mentioned the option you might find interesting.

I hope this helps.

bakunin

Yeah I get that I think.

Code:

bubble151:~$ last -n 3 agreen1
agreen1  pts/0        hottub.private.u Mon May  7 07:51   still logged in   
agreen1  pts/0        hottub.private.u Mon May  7 05:04 - 05:14  (00:09)    
agreen1  pts/0        hottub.private.u Sun May  6 21:22 - 22:12  (00:49)    

or
bubble151:~$ last -n 3 -R agreen1
agreen1  pts/0        Mon May  7 07:51   still logged in   
agreen1  pts/0        Mon May  7 05:04 - 05:14  (00:09)    
agreen1  pts/0        Sun May  6 21:22 - 22:12  (00:49)

The problem Im having is that Im being told basically that I need to logged in to the hottub server and run whatever command and see my logins from there.

The above code is from when I logged in on my bubble and shows my activity on the hottub. The info in the above code should be what i need (informationally). Im going to email her in a bit.

Well I did learn that I don't have to pipe last like i did in my first post.

I still feel like this. At least now I have a few questions I can ask my instructor.

Thank you. I appreciate the help from both of you.

correct. If you include "-R" is merely a matter of taste, but you got the drift.

Then issue the command there, simply. If you read the man page careful enough you will notice the following:

There is a file called /var/tmp/wtmp, where every login/logóut-activity is stored. This file has a certain format and last is designed to retrieve information from this file and put it in readable form. You can even create a file of this certain format yourself and let "last" work on that (with the "-f" option). As every system maintains this log you can query it on every system.

NO!!!

It shows, that you have logged in to bubble coming from hottub. You logged in to hottub, then logged in to bubble from there. For the bubble system, you are coming from hottub, while for the hottub system you are coming from whichever system to used to access it.

Think of it as a series of rooms (the systems) connected by doors (the network connections). Every room "knows" which door you came through when you entered it, but not more: if you start in room A, go to room B and from there to room C, room C will record "has come from room B", room B will record "has come from room A" and room A will - well, it will know you started there, because you came from nowhere else.

The equivalent of "knowing you started there" is having some local terminal instead of a network address as "coming from". Compare your output (network connection) to when i use "last" on the laptop i am writing this. Notice the "pts" and "tty" devices instead of a network address. These are local (pseudo)-terminals instead of network connections.:

Code:

# last
bakunin  pts/0        :0.0             Mon May  7 17:25   still logged in   
bakunin  pts/0        :0.0             Mon May  7 06:50 - 07:02  (00:12)    
bakunin  pts/0        :0.0             Mon May  7 06:42 - 06:43  (00:00)    
bakunin  tty7         :0               Sat May  5 20:21   still logged in   
reboot   system boot  2.6.35-22-generi Sat May  5 20:21 - 17:25 (1+21:04)

Don't give up. Once you managed some basic understanding you are in for one of the most wonderful experiences in life. Working with Unix is like playing an instrument - the better you get the more beauty you reveal and the more things you find that you can still learn while the topic gots even more interesting with every answered question.

I hope this helps.

bakunin

Everything you have posted has helped. I cant thank you enough. It has been frustrating me because of a misunderstanding in a few things my instructor said to me in emails. I thought she was saying that my first try using last was wrong and my second try using tail was on the right track. but thats not what she meant. We exchanged emails today.

I love this class Im taking. This one question is the difference between 96% done and 100% done my class and can move on to the next one. ha ha It figures right?
I am much more comfortable erecting steel building that typing terminal commands!
I do love learning. I'll be going back to review and read more man pages. Ill update this when I figure it out.

Thanks again

Sorry it took so long to post. Its was just as you stated in the post above. I had been looking for the output to say you have entered room B at such and such a time. But instead its like saying you already know where you are. It tells you when you got there and from where.


Thanks again

Hi

you can try last -an | head
last just read /var/adm/wtmpx file.