---
name: "accton"
section: "8"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/accton"
---

# accton(8)

enable/disable system accounting

## NAME

**accton** – enable/disable system accounting

## SYNOPSIS

**accton** \[*file*\]

## DESCRIPTION

With an argument naming an existing *file*, **accton** causes system accounting information for every process executed to be placed at the end of the file. If no argument is given, accounting is turned off.

To have **accton** enabled at boot time, use “rcctl enable accounting”, which sets

```
accounting=YES
```

in rc.conf.local(8).

Log rotation of the default accounting file, */var/account/acct*, is performed by the [daily(8)](/daily/8.md) maintenance script.

## FILES

- */var/account/acct*

  default accounting file

## EXIT STATUS

The **accton** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs.

## SEE ALSO

[lastcomm(1)](/lastcomm/1.md), [acct(2)](/acct/2.md), [acct(5)](/acct/5.md), [daily(8)](/daily/8.md), [sa(8)](/sa/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **accton** command first appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.