A system administrator runs a command to list live connections on interactive terminals. Which file supplies the records that reflect these active sessions?
The live session utility reads /var/run/utmp, which is updated by login services to track current interactive shells and terminals. /var/log/wtmp holds a historical archive of logins and logouts, /var/log/btmp records failed login attempts, and /var/log/lastlog shows the most recent login for each account rather than ongoing sessions.
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What is the purpose of the /var/run/utmp file?
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How does /var/log/wtmp differ from /var/run/utmp?
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What do the other files like /var/log/btmp and /var/log/lastlog represent?