Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mailrus!cornell!batcomputer!hurf From: hurf@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Hurf Sheldon) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Autologout of unused terminals Keywords: logout attitude security Message-ID: <6915@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> Date: 2 Dec 88 03:55:49 GMT References: <201.nlunix6@orcenl.uucp> <8800003@gistdev> Reply-To: hurf@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Hurf Sheldon) Organization: Cornell Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY Lines: 34 The user hostile cant some of the comments re: response to users who left themselves logged in was disturbing. Active computer fluent users rarely leave themselves logged in unless there are mitigating circumstances. Many non computer types who are simply trying to do their work on a computer often leave themselves logged in. We have taken the tack of only looking for idle users after hours and if our system user quota is full. Being irritated at absent minded non computer people and irritating them in turn as a response is counter productive. If resource management becomes necessary, even the unfluent (as opposed to the effluent) become familiar with the constraints of their work environment (and will probably begin to depend on the computer to log them out if nothing has been doing on their line). From a practical standpoint it seems logins idle longer than 1hr after 7:pm are good bets to cut off. Idle logins greater than 30 minutes in a busy public area, idle network logins from hosts known to be pc's or unfamiliar hosts and idle dialup lines are all good candidates for the axe, too. A program to see who, what tty, how long and what day and time of day, assign and total priority values and logout any login that accumulates enough points would be nice. There could be a weighting factor given to particular lines in /etc/ttys for insecure or public terminals. I will take a stab at it next week if nobody has done it already. Suggestions welcome. hurf -- Hurf Sheldon Network: hurf@ionvax.tn.cornell.edu Lab of Plasma Studies Bitnet: hurf@CRNLION 369 Upson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853 ph:607 255 7267 I sold my Elan, got a job in science; Now, no one takes me seriously.