[plug] repairs to /var/log/lastlog

Tony Breeds magni at plug.linux.org.au
Tue May 20 11:50:10 WST 2003


On Tue, May 20, 2003 at 03:25:50AM -0000, Ambrose B Scafidi wrote:

> /var/log/lastlog has an internal structure to it. 

Yes.  but a 0 byte file is valid.

> Every time a user is added
> to the system there is a incremental increase in size of this file as a
> datastructure representing the new user is tacked onto the end. 

Not in my experience.  everytime a user logs in the file is updated to
show it, in a way very similar to [wu]tmp

> How this one
> got to 18meg is beyond me....

Normal system growth.
 
Truncating the file the way I suggested previously should be fine.
Certainly has been for me for the last 8+ years.

Yours Tony

        Linux.Conf.AU       http://lca2004.linux.org.au/
        Jan 12-17 2004      The Australian Linux Technical Conference!



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