On 2024-10-23 14:07:52 +0200, Chris Hofstaedtler wrote: > On Wed, Oct 23, 2024 at 11:59:24AM +0200, Celelibi wrote: > > Screen relies on libutempter to update the utmp database. I don't know > > if Screen should be updated to use libwtmpdb instead of libutempter or > > if libutempter should be updated to wrap libwtmpdb.
First, IMHO, the use of libutempter by GNU Screen has always been broken: the GNU Screen ttys are listed in utmp only when the Screen session is being attached. This means that if a "wall" message is sent while GNU Screen is detached, the user will not be able to see it (even if GNU Screen is attached as few seconds later). Moreover, this gives lots of useless information in wtmp, like vinc17 pts/2 Tue Jan 6 17:27 - 17:27 (00:00) :pts/8:S.1 vinc17 pts/3 Tue Jan 6 17:27 - 17:27 (00:00) :pts/8:S.2 vinc17 pts/1 Tue Jan 6 17:27 - 17:27 (00:00) :pts/8:S.0 vinc17 pts/2 Tue Jan 6 17:05 - 17:05 (00:00) :pts/8:S.1 vinc17 pts/3 Tue Jan 6 17:05 - 17:05 (00:00) :pts/8:S.2 vinc17 pts/1 Tue Jan 6 17:05 - 17:05 (00:00) :pts/8:S.0 vinc17 pts/2 Tue Jan 6 17:04 - 17:04 (00:00) :pts/8:S.1 vinc17 pts/3 Tue Jan 6 17:04 - 17:04 (00:00) :pts/8:S.2 vinc17 pts/1 Tue Jan 6 17:04 - 17:04 (00:00) :pts/8:S.0 vinc17 pts/3 Tue Jan 6 17:03 - 17:03 (00:00) :pts/8:S.2 vinc17 pts/2 Tue Jan 6 17:03 - 17:03 (00:00) :pts/8:S.1 vinc17 pts/1 Tue Jan 6 17:03 - 17:03 (00:00) :pts/8:S.0 vinc17 pts/2 Tue Jan 6 17:00 - 17:02 (00:02) :pts/8:S.1 vinc17 pts/3 Tue Jan 6 17:00 - 17:02 (00:02) :pts/8:S.2 vinc17 pts/1 Tue Jan 6 17:00 - 17:02 (00:02) :pts/8:S.0 (on a bookworm machine). > Probably neither. utmp is for "currently logged in" things; this > info is held in memory in logind. wtmpdb is not for this type of > info, and where necessary its plugged into PAM. Well, this may be useful for the GNU Screen session itself (in addition to things needed with logind). The reason is that Screen sessions are asynchronous with logins and logouts: a Screen session may still be running after a ssh session that started it has been closed. -- Vincent Lefèvre <[email protected]> - Web: <https://www.vinc17.net/> 100% accessible validated (X)HTML - Blog: <https://www.vinc17.net/blog/> Work: CR INRIA - computer arithmetic / Pascaline project (LIP, ENS-Lyon)
