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linux ac: Print how long a particular user has been connected in hours per day (with total)

Jonas

Jonas

2 min read

Monitoring the activity of users on a Linux system is an important aspect of system administration. By keeping track of how long a particular user has been connected, we can gain valuable insights into their usage patterns and identify any irregularities or potential security issues. Thankfully, the ac command in Linux provides a straightforward way to obtain this information.

To print how long a specific user has been connected in hours per day, we can use the -p option followed by the username. This will display a daily summary of the user's activity, including the number of hours they have been actively connected.

ac -p username

The output will include a table with columns for the date, the total hours the user was logged in, and the average number of hours per login. This information can be particularly useful in understanding how much time a user spends on the system on a daily basis.

              |    total    |   min  |   avg  |    max   |   nlogins
DATE          |  HOURS      |  TIME  |  TIME  |  TIME    |  COUNT
YYYY-MM-DD    |  aaaaaaaa  |        | aaaaaa | aaaaaa   | aaaaaaa
YYYY-MM-DD    |  aaaaaaaa  |        | aaaaaa | aaaaaa   | aaaaaaa

To calculate the total number of hours the user has been connected in a specific period, you can iterate through the output and sum up the hours for each day. This way, you will obtain the overall usage statistics for that particular user.

Using the ac command simplifies the process of tracking user activity and enables system administrators to keep a close eye on how users are utilizing the system. By having this information readily available, administrators can identify potential security risks, monitor resource usage, and mitigate any unauthorized access attempts.

So next time you need to investigate how long a specific user has been connected to a Linux system, remember to utilize the power of the ac command. Keep an eye on user activity, ensure optimal system performance, and maintain a secure environment.

Happy administering!