last(8)last(8)NAMElast - Displays information about previous logins
SYNOPSIS
/usr/bin/last [-n maxlines | -maxlines] [-f filename] [name...]
[tty...]
OPTIONS
Reads information about previous logins from filename instead of from
the accounting file /var/adm/wtmp. Limits the output to maxlines num‐
ber of record lines. Limits the output to maxlines number of record
lines. Provides SVID conformance, and is equivalent to -maxlines.
DESCRIPTION
The last command displays, in reverse chronological order, all previous
logins and logouts entered in the currently active /var/adm/wtmp file.
The list of output records can be restricted to maxlines number of
record lines if the -maxlines or the -n maxlines option is specified.
The last command also displays logins and logouts by the user specified
with the name parameter, and logins and logouts from terminals speci‐
fied with the tty parameter. The tty terminal references can be fully
named (for example, tty0) or abbreviated (for example, 0). For each
process, the following information is displayed according to session,
with the most recent session listed first: Time session began Duration
of session The tty terminal on which session took place
The following information is included when applicable: Terminations
when rebooting Continuing sessions
If the last command is interrupted, an indication of how far the search
has progressed in the /var/adm/wtmp file is provided. If the command is
interrupted by a quit signal, an indication as to how far the search
has progressed is provided, but the search continues.
To obtain information about the mean time between reboots, use the word
shutdown as the name parameter.
EXAMPLES
The following example displays all recorded logins and logouts for user
root and all recorded logins and logouts from the console terminal:
last root console The following example displays the time between sys‐
tem reboots: % last shutdown shutdown ~
Fri Aug 28 17:59 shutdown ~ Mon Aug 17
09:07
wtmp begins Mon Aug 17 08:51
In the previous example, the shutdown pseudouser is used to list
the mean time between system reboots.
FILES
Specifies the command path Header file defining structures used to
organize login information The login/logout database file
SEE ALSO
Commands: lastcomm(8)
Files: utmp(4), wtmp(4)last(8)
