Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!math.fu-berlin.de!mailgzrz!opal!czahl
From: czahl@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de (Christian Zahl)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: When does wtmp reset?
Message-ID: <3457@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de>
Date: 23 May 91 22:39:48 GMT
Article-I.D.: opal.3457
References: <26965@adm.brl.mil>
Sender: news@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de
Lines: 17
Nntp-Posting-Host: elf

tpm-sprl!tpm@uunet.uu.net (Terence P. Ma) writes:

>UNIX-gurus:

>While looking over the earlier question of how to look up when someone was
>last logged in, I see that the command "last" (on my SS1+; SunOS4.1.1) is
>appropriate.  However, whenever I type "last" I note that wtmp is started at
>the same time as the earliest login of that particular day.  I am suspecting
>that this is because I have the accounting program run in the middle of the
>night and it resets wtmp (is this correct? -- couldn't find it in the any
>manual entry).

The fact is quiet right. There is no automatic mechanism to remove old
entries. The only way is to remove it with an own written program or by
removing the wtmp and creating a new empty one.

helps?, Chris