---
name: "wcat"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "sac"
version: "1.9b5-3+b2"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/wcat"
---

# wcat(1)

printout wtmp entries

## NAME

wcat - printout wtmp entries

## SYNOPSIS

wcat \[-w wtmp\|-\] \[-adX\[3\|4\]\] \[-s start\] \[-e end\] \[-b H\[:M\[:S\]\]\] \[--help\] \[--version\]\

## SYNOPSIS

**Wcat** provides an easy way to recover trimmed information from wtmp binary  files. This tool can be useful for scripts that need only partial information from them.

Notice that **wcat** output is  **binary** wtmp entries so if this information is printed out to a terminal or screen it might mess it up. A better use of wcat would be: **wcat \| rawtmp -w -**\

## OPTIONS

- **-w** wtmp\|-

  Read alternate wtmp file.

- **-X\[3\]**

  Read tacacs 3.x wtmp format.

- **-X4**

  Read tacacs 4.0 wtmp format.

- **-d**

  Output time in MMM DD HH:MM:SS date format.

- **-a**

  Print contents of ut\_addr (if it exists) instead of ut\_host.

- **-s** start

  Display accounting info from \`start'.

- **-e** end

  Display accounting info up to \`end'.

- **-b** H:M:S

  Show accounting info from the last few hours/minutes/seconds.

- **--help**

  Print this help message.

- **--version**

  Print the version of rawtmp.\

## SEE ALSO

[**sac**(8)](/sac/8.md), [**ac**(1)](/ac/1.md), [**last**(1)](/last/1.md), [**rawtmp**(1)](/rawtmp/1.md), [**wtmp**(5)](/wtmp/5.md), **netdate**(8L)

## FILES

/var/log/wtmp                  login database\
 /usr/adm/radacct/.../detail    Radius accounting logs

## AUTHOR

The upstream author of  **wcat** is Steve Baker (ice@mama.indstate.edu)

This manpage was written by Javier Fernandez-Sanguino based on  **help2man** for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution (but can be used by others).