Problems with last ( bug in sysvinit package)?
[cc'ed to debian-devel to get feedback from people there]
Hi Mike,
after I upgraded to the latest sysvinit in Hamm (2.75-1) I started to note
two (2) problems with last (or the /var/log/wtmp file).
Problem #1
----------
Take a look at this sequence of commands and its outputs:
[...]
polux:~# /etc/cron.monthly/standard
polux:~# # This rotates /var/log/wtmp
polux:~# last
last: read failed!
wtmp begins Thu May 28 08:56:44 1998
polux:~# # This error message is fine since /var/log/wtmp does not exist -
it was rotated
polux:~# exit
Now, after telneting again to polux:
[...]
polux:~# last
root ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 08:58 still logged in
wtmp begins Thu May 28 08:58:34 1998
polux:~# # Somebody logs in at the console...
polux:~# last
root tty1 Thu May 28 08:59 still logged in
root ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 08:58 still logged in
wtmp begins Thu May 28 08:58:34 1998
polux:~# # Now the user at the console logs out...
polux:~# last
root tty1 Thu May 28 08:59 - 08:59 (00:00)
root ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 08:58 still logged in
wtmp begins Thu May 28 08:58:34 1998
polux:~# # And now for the problems...
polux:~# # I'll shutdown the machine and see how last output looks like
polux:~# # after rebooting...
polux:~# shutdown -r +1 &
[1] 374
polux:~#
Broadcast message from root (ttyp0) Thu May 28 09:03:36 1998...
The system is going DOWN for reboot in 1 minutes !!
polux:~# exit
[After the machine has rebooted, I open a telnet session to polux once again]
[...]
Last login: Thu May 28 08:59:18 on tty1.
You have mail.
polux:~# last
root ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 09:08 still logged in
reboot system boot Thu May 28 09:05
root tty1 Thu May 28 08:59 - crash (00:00)
root ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 08:58 - crash (00:00)
wtmp begins Thu May 28 08:58:34 1998
You see? The last two entries of last's output say "crash", and that is not
true. These users logged out gracefully, and in fact, if the machine hadn't
been rebooted last would have given the expected output.
Problem #2
----------
On another order of ideas, I also started to see these blank entries in
last's output after I upgraded to sysvinit-2.75-1:
zeus:~$ last
eparis ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 09:18 still logged in
ttyS16 Thu May 28 09:16 - 09:16 (00:00)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
rmartine ttyS16 slip1 Thu May 28 09:15 - 09:16 (00:00)
Ubacata ttyS16 Thu May 28 08:43 - 09:09 (00:25)
eparis ttyp0 chapu.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 08:33 - 09:18 (00:44)
ttyS16 Thu May 28 08:02 - 08:02 (00:00)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eparis ttyp0 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 07:58 - 08:02 (00:03)
eparis ttyS16 slip1 Thu May 28 07:57 - 08:02 (00:04)
dialout ttyS16 callback -S Thu May 28 07:56 - 07:57 (00:00)
ttyS16 Thu May 28 07:19 - 07:19 (00:00)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
eparis ttyp0 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 07:18 - 07:19 (00:00)
eparis ttyS16 slip1 Thu May 28 07:18 - 07:19 (00:01)
ttyS16 Thu May 28 07:17 - 07:17 (00:00)
eparis ttyp0 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 07:14 - 07:17 (00:02)
eparis ttyS16 slip1 Thu May 28 07:14 - 07:17 (00:02)
reboot system boot Thu May 28 07:13
eparis ttyp2 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 07:09 - crash (00:00)
eparis ttyp1 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 06:55 - crash (00:14)
eparis ttyp1 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 06:48 - crash (00:00)
eparis ttyp1 slip1.ven.ra.roc Thu May 28 01:10 - crash (00:00)
[...]
These blank entries always happen after a PPP connection is shut down. It
looks like mgetty or pppd are logging something to wtmp but I really don't
know.
---
Probably problem #2 is not really a bug, but I think problem #1 is really
one and I would say that its severity should be "important". I looked at
the bugs filed against sysvinit and couldn't find anything related.
Are these really problems and should I file a bug report against sysvinit?
Let me know if you need further information.
Bye for now.
E.-
--
Eloy A. Paris
Information Technology Department
Rockwell Automation de Venezuela
Telephone: +58-2-9432311 Fax: +58-2-9431645 Cel.: +58-16-234700
"Where does this path lead?" said Alice
"Depends on where you want to go." Said the cat
("Alice in Wonderland", by Lewis Carroll.)
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