Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!ai-lab!sundar
From: sundar@wheaties.ai.mit.edu (Sundar Narasimhan)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: question regarding how hpux uses /etc/utmp.
Keywords: utmp
Message-ID: <1256@special-k.ai.mit.edu>
Date: 23 Mar 89 16:21:07 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: MIT AI Lab, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 21

Hi:
I am trying to port a finger program to the hp's (hpux version 6.2) and 
notice that the utmp file in the hp's often contains more entries than 
the number of users logged in. However, the "who" program distributed by hp 
seems to do the right thing. Since I dont have sources, could someone
explain the format (and other bits in hp's /etc/utmp file)? Also ut_host
is missing on the hp's, so where is this information kept, if it is saved
at all? 

This new finger program queries a database of users which we use for
creating password files, maintaining accounts etc.. and runs on a Sun
using yellow pages. I've noticed some problems with performance (the same 
program runs 10 times faster on the suns). I was therefore wondering if anyone
who has written network + nlist hacking code on hp350 series machines could 
explain this to me before I throw something heavier at it.. (is the network 
code just..slow?)  

-Sundar

ps. please send responses directly to me, since I dont read this newsgroup, 
and I doubt very many people are interested in these questions.