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Asked: 2024-09-26T20:03:40+05:30 In:

What steps can I follow to view the login history on an Ubuntu system?

I’ve been trying to figure this one thing out on my Ubuntu system and thought maybe some of you could help me out. You know how sometimes you’d like to check who logged into your computer, especially if you’re sharing it with friends or family? I’m kind of paranoid about it and just want to keep an eye on who accesses my stuff.

So, I found out there’s a way to view the login history, but honestly, I’m a bit lost on how to actually do it. I’ve seen people mention using terminal commands, but I feel like I might mess something up if I don’t do it right. Plus, I don’t want to type in a command that could accidentally change some crucial settings or something.

If you’ve done this before, could you break down the steps for me? Like, should I open a terminal and type in a specific command right away, or do I need to navigate to a folder first? And are there any tools or logs I should know about? I’ve heard things about files like `/var/log/auth.log` or something similar, but I’m not really sure what I’m looking for there.

Also, is there an easy way to filter the information? Like, if I just want to see when someone last logged in and nothing too detailed, would that be possible? Any tips on how to read the output so I can figure out who accessed my system and when would be super helpful too.

And just to clarify, I’m using a pretty standard setup, so if anyone has experience with the regular Ubuntu desktop version, that would be perfect. I’ve checked a couple forums, but the explanations seem to assume I already know a lot more than I do!

Looking forward to your responses because I really want to get this sorted out. It’s all about keeping my stuff secure, right? Thanks for any help!

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    2 Answers


    1. To check the login history on your Ubuntu system, you can use the terminal to access various log files that contain information about user logins. Open your terminal by either searching for “Terminal” in your applications or by using the shortcut Ctrl + Alt + T. A straightforward command to start with is last. Simply type last in the terminal and press Enter. This command will show you a list of the last logged-in users, including their login times, durations, and the terminal used. If you want to see a specific user’s login history, you can type last username (replace “username” with the actual username), which will filter the results accordingly.

      For more detailed information, you can check the /var/log/auth.log file, which logs all authentication-related events including logins and logout attempts. To view this file, you can use the command sudo less /var/log/auth.log. The sudo command elevates your privileges, allowing you to read the log file. Inside the file, you can scroll through to see entries related to user logins. To filter for specific entries, you can use the command grep 'session opened' to find when sessions were initiated. If you’re just looking for the last login time without digging too deep into details, simply using last -n 1 will show you the most recent login. Understanding the output is straightforward: the first column is the username, the second is the terminal, followed by the IP address (if remote), the date, and the duration of the session. This should help you clear your paranoia and keep track of who accesses your computer.




    2. How to Check Login History on Ubuntu

      Checking Login History on Ubuntu

      If you want to check who logged into your Ubuntu system, there are a few simple commands you can run in the terminal. Here’s a step-by-step guide for you!

      Step 1: Open the Terminal

      You can open the terminal by searching for “Terminal” in your applications or by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard.

      Step 2: Viewing Login History

      The main command you can use is:

      last

      This command shows a list of all the users that have recently logged in and out along with the times. Just type last in the terminal and hit Enter.

      Step 3: Checking Specific Logs

      If you want more detailed information, you can check out the authentication log file:

      cat /var/log/auth.log

      This command will output a lot of information. If it feels overwhelming, you can filter it for just the login entries using:

      cat /var/log/auth.log | grep "session opened"

      This will show you only the entries related to user sessions being opened.

      Step 4: Filtering for Last Login

      If you just want to see when someone last logged in, the last command works perfectly. You can also limit the number of entries it shows:

      last -n 5

      This shows you the last 5 login entries only. You can change the number to however many you want to see.

      Understanding the Output

      The output from the last command shows:

      • Username: The name of the user who logged in.
      • Terminal: The terminal they used, like tty1.
      • IP Address: If they logged in remotely, you’ll see the IP address.
      • Login Time: When they logged in and out.

      It should give you a good idea of who’s been accessing your system!

      Final Tips

      Don’t worry about messing things up with these commands. They are read-only and won’t change any settings. Just take your time, and you’ll get the hang of it!


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