[ale] bogus idel time for user

[Geoffrey Myers]

Jim Kinney wrote:
> check the output of the last command. The who command shows currently 
> logged in and last shows current and previous logins.

I find the output of:

who -Tu

useful.

> 
> On Mon, Jan 30, 2012 at 10:34 AM, John Heim <john at johnheim.net 
> <mailto:john at johnheim.net>> wrote:
> 
>     Anyone know how a machine can get a bogus idel time for a user? I have a
>     problem with users getting kicked off their machines for being idel
>     for too
>     long. Problem is, they just logged on. If I finger user, it shows he
>     logged
>     on today but his idle time is 39 days. That's a problem because I
>     have our
>     machines configured to log people out if they are idel for more than
>     4 days.
>     How can a user have been idel for 39 days when they just logged on? I
>     thought maybe he was logged in more than once but who shows just one
>     login
>     for him.  Below is the output from the who and the finger commands. I
>     modified it slightly to hide the user's actual identity.
> 
>     # who
>     johnsmith     tty8         Jan 30 08:32 (:0)
>     # finger johnsmith
>     Login: johnsmith                              Name: John Smith
>     Directory: /fac/johnsmith                    Shell: /bin/tcsh
>     Office:  555-5555,  555 Van Vleck
>     On since Mon Jan 30 08:32 (CST) on tty8 from :0
>       39 days idle
>         (messages off)
>     No mail.
>     No Plan.
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> -- 
> James P. Kinney III
> 
> As long as the general population is passive, apathetic, diverted to 
> consumerism or hatred of the vulnerable, then the powerful can do as 
> they please, and those who survive will be left to contemplate the outcome.
> - ////2011 Noam Chomsky
> 
> http://heretothereideas.blogspot.com/
> ////
> 
> 
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-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
the pretense of taking care of them."
- Thomas Jefferson