---
name: "autolog"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "autolog"
version: "0.42.1-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/autolog"
---

# autolog(8)

Log out idle users

## NAME

autolog - Log out idle users

## SYNOPSIS

**autolog** \[ **options** \]\

## DESCRIPTION

The program reads the utmp file, entry by entry.  The  username for each 'user process' is compared to the entries in the  configuration file (see **[autolog.conf(5)](/autolog.conf/5.md)** ).  The first entry to match both the name, the group, and the tty line of the process will be used to conduct the automatic  logout.

## CALL

- **/etc/init.d/autolog start**

  - or

  - **autolog**

  to run this program in daemon-mode

- **autolog -o**

  to run this program as "ordinary" program. Keep in mind: Also when running as ordinary program, it will stay in memory until all its jobs are done.

## OPTIONS

- **-a**

  (all processes) Print information on ALL utmp entries--not just user processes.

- **-d**

  (debug mode) This is helpful in setting up your configuration file. The program runs in foreground rather than forking and it prints  out verbose messages about what it is doing.

- **-n**

  (nokill) Use this to prevent autolog from actually "killing" anyone. Use -d and -n together when setting up a new configuration file. ( This will not affect killing of lost processes. )

- **-o**

  (ordinary) Use this to run this program as ordinary program, not as daemon. Program will end, when its job is done. In this case, some data is kept in "/var/lib/autolog/autolog.data". This is read, when the program is called again.

- **-f config\_file\_name**

  Use this to override the default: "/etc/autolog.conf"

- **-l log\_file\_name**

  Use this to override the default: "/var/log/autolog.log". Note that if this file doesn't exist, no logging will happen. Create the file (with touch) to enable logging.

- **-t idle\_time**

  Use this to override the internal default idle time (minutes)

- **-g grace\_period**

  Use this to override the internal default grace period (seconds)

- **-m yes/no**

  Use this to override the internal mailing switch.  If "yes" the program will send mail to the users right after killing them.

- **-c yes/no**

  Use this to override the internal "pre-clear" switch.  If "yes" the program will clear the terminal screen before warning the user.

- **-w yes/no**

  Do timeouts based on total session time--not idle time. (hard)

- **-l yes/no**

  If set to "yes" activities will be written to the logfile if  present.

## AUTHOR

Kyle Bateman \<kyle@actarg.com\> (autolog 0.35),

- James Dingwall \<james.dingwall@ncrvoyix.com\>

  - (autolog 0.42.1)

  This manual page was modified for **Debian** by Paul Telford \<pxt@debian.org\>