Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!mailrus!ames!vsi1!daver!mips!sultra!dtynan From: dtynan@sultra.UUCP (Der Tynan) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: Autologout of unused terminals Summary: Explain yourself. Message-ID: <2682@sultra.UUCP> Date: 29 Nov 88 02:32:52 GMT References: <201.nlunix6@orcenl.uucp> <8978@smoke.BRL.MIL> Organization: Tynan Computers, Sunnyvale, CA Lines: 32 In article <201.nlunix6@orcenl.uucp> bengsig@orcenl.uucp (Bjorn Engsig) writes: >Is there any way to see if a terminal has not been used for some time, >and if it hasn't, to send a hangup to the processes there? Look for dust on the keyboard. That's an obvious sign :-) Seriously though, I've seen at least three such programs posted to comp.sources. A quick check through the UUNET archives shows ~ftp/comp.sources.unix/volume3/idledaemon.Z If you don't have access to a c.s.u archive, let me know, and I'll send you the 'shar' file. In article <8978@smoke.BRL.MIL>, gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn ) writes: > Try that around here and you may get stomped on! > > Just why this is a BAD idea has been spelled out many times before > and need not be repeated. Hmm, Doug. I don't think he was asking whether or not it was a good idea. All he wants is the software. Anyway, I don't mind if you spell it out one more time. I'd like to know why it is better to leave Joe User's account available for a passer-by, than to kill it. A lot of UN*X sites I've seen have a lot of users who leave themselves logged in, indefinitely. In fact, the only time they actually log in, is after the system has crashed! I guess it's paranoia that the boss actually audits the accounting files, to see what time they got in at :-). Anyway, perhaps you'd like to let me know why it's such a terrible sin to kill these jobs. - Der -- dtynan@zorba.Tynan.COM (Dermot Tynan @ Tynan Computers) {apple,mips,pyramid,uunet}!Tynan.COM!dtynan --- If the Law is for the People, then why do we need Lawyers? ---