martin carpenter

contents

first

2010/03/09

tags: solaris utmpx(4) wtmpx(4) last(1)

github home	http://github.com/mcarpenter/first
repository URLs	https://github.com/mcarpenter/first.git git://github.com/mcarpenter/first.git

first(1) is an adaptation of the standard Solaris last(1) command but adds a triple of features that make life easier when inspecting very old or long wtmpx files:

• The username field is expanded from 8 to 16 characters.
• The full date is included both for login and logout timestamps (last(1) only includes the time of logout and the length of the session).
• Optional flag -u outputs timestamp fields as seconds from the beginning of 1970 (easier automated processing).

Example output from last:

mcarpent  pts/2        foxtrot          Tue Mar  9 20:15 - 20:37  (00:22)

Example output from first:

mcarpenter        pts/2        foxtrot          Tue Mar  9 20:15:00 2010 - Tue Mar  9 20:37:39 2010  (00:22)

Example output from first -u:

mcarpenter        pts/2        foxtrot          1268162100 - 1268163459  (00:22)

Manual page:

User Commands                                            first(1)



NAME
     first - an adaptation of last to display  login  and  logout
     information about users and terminals


SYNOPSIS
     first [-a] [-n number | -number] [-f filename] [-u]
          [name | tty]...


DESCRIPTION
     first is identical to last apart from the following changes:

         Expanded username column from 8 to 16 characters.

         Full  length  timestamps  for  both  logon  and  logoff,
         including year.

         Option to display timestamps as seconds from 1970  (UNIX
         epoch time) for easier processing.

     These changes are intended to make last more convenient  for
     processing long (old) wtmpx files.


     The first command looks in the  /var/adm/wtmpx  file,  which
     records  all  logins  and  logouts,  for information about a
     user, a terminal, or any group of users and terminals. Argu-
     ments  specify  names  of users or terminals of interest. If
     multiple arguments are given, the information applicable  to
     any  of  the  arguments  is printed. For example, first root
     console lists all of root's sessions, as well  as  all  ses-
     sions  on  the console terminal. first displays the sessions
     of the specified users and  terminals,  most  recent  first,
     indicating  the  times at which the session began, the dura-
     tion of the session, and the terminal on which  the  session
     took place. first also indicates whether the session is con-
     tinuing or was cut short by a reboot.


     The pseudo-user reboot logs in when the system  is  shutdown
     and when it reboots. Thus,

         first reboot




     gives an approximate record of  when  the  operating  system
     instance was shutdown and when it rebooted. This can be used
     to calculate the availability of the operating  system  over
     time.



SunOS 5.11          Last change: 09 Mar 2010                    1






User Commands                                            first(1)



     first with no arguments displays a record of all logins  and
     logouts, in reverse order.


     If first is interrupted, it indicates how far the search has
     progressed  in  /var/adm/wtmpx.  If  interrupted with a quit
     signal (generated by a CTRL-\), first indicates how far  the
     search has progressed, and then continues the search.

OPTIONS
     The following options are supported:

     -a                       Displays the hostname in  the  last
                              column.


     -f filename              Uses filename as the  name  of  the
                              accounting    file    instead    of
                              /var/adm/wtmpx.


     -n number|-number        Limits  the   number   of   entries
                              displayed   to  that  specified  by
                              number. These options  are  identi-
                              cal; the -number option is provided
                              as a transition tool  only  and  is
                              removed in future releases.


     -u                       Displays  times  as  seconds   from
                              beginning   of   1970  (UNIX  epoch
                              time).


ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
     Date and time format is based on  locale  specified  by  the
     LC_ALL,  LC_TIME,  or  LANG  environments,  in that order of
     priority.


FILES
     /var/adm/wtmpx    accounting file


ATTRIBUTES
     See attributes(5) for descriptions of the  following  attri-
     butes:








SunOS 5.11          Last change: 09 Mar 2010                    2






User Commands                                            first(1)



     __________________________________________________________________
    |       ATTRIBUTE TYPE        |          ATTRIBUTE VALUE          |
    |_____________________________|___________________________________|
    | Availability                | http://github.com/mcarpenter/first|
    |_____________________________|___________________________________|


AUTHOR
     Martin Carpenter, mcarpenter@free.fr, Copyright 2010.


SEE ALSO
     last(1), utmpx(4), attributes(5)










































SunOS 5.11          Last change: 09 Mar 2010                    3