# lastcomm(1) - man - phpMan [LASTCOMM(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LASTCOMM/1/markdown) General Commands Manual [LASTCOMM(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LASTCOMM/1/markdown) ## NAME lastcomm - print out information about previously executed commands. ## SYNOPSIS ### lastcomm [ _command-name_ _..._ ] [ _user-name_ _..._ ] [ _terminal-name_ _..._ ] [ OPTION ... ] ## DESCRIPTION **lastcomm** prints out information about previously executed commands. If no arguments are specified, **lastcomm** will print info about all of the commands in _acct_ (the record file). If called with one or more of _command-name,_ _user-name,_ or _terminal-name,_ only records containing those items will be displayed. For example, to find out which users used command `a.out' and which users were logged into `tty0', type: lastcomm a.out tty0 This will print any entry for which `a.out' or `tty0' matches in any of the record's fields (command, name, or terminal). If you want to find only items that match *all* of the argu‐ ments on the command line, you must use the '-strict-match' option. For example, to list all of the executions of command _a.out_ by user _root_ on terminal _tty0,_ type: lastcomm --strict-match --command a.out --user root --tty tty0 The order of the arguments is not important. For each entry the following information is printed: + command name of the process + flags, as recorded by the system accounting routines: S -- command executed by super-user F -- command executed after a fork but without a following exec C -- command run in PDP-11 compatibility mode (VAX only) D -- command terminated with the generation of a core file X -- command was terminated with the signal SIGTERM + the name of the user who ran the process + time the process started ## OPTIONS ### --strict-match Print only entries that match *all* of the arguments on the command line. ### --print-controls Print control characters. **--user** _name_ List records for user with _name._ This is useful if you're trying to match a username that happens to be the same as a command (e.g., _ed_ ). **--command** _name_ List records for command _name._ **--tty** _name_ List records for tty _name._ ### --forwards Read file forwards instead of backwards. This avoids trying to seek on the file and can be used to read from a pipe. This must be specified prior to any **-f** arguments. ### -f --file Read from the file _filename_ instead of _acct._ A filename of "-" will result in reading from stdin. This must either be the first **-f** option, or **--forwards** must precede all **-f** options. **--ahz** _hz_ Use this flag to tell the program what **AHZ** should be (in hertz). This option is use‐ ful if you are trying to view an _acct_ file created on another machine which has the same byte order and file format as your current machine, but has a different value for **AHZ.** ### -p, --show-paging Print paging statistics. **--pid** Show PID and PPID of the process if acct version 3 format is supported by kernel. **--pid** Add pid of the process and pid of the process parent to the output (pid is the last but one and parent pid the last column). These values are shown only when they are generated by acct function (depends on the version of kernel) ### --debug Print verbose internal information. ### -V, --version Print the version number of **lastcomm.** ### -h, --help Prints the usage string and default locations of system files to standard output and exits. ## FILES _acct_ The system wide process accounting file. See [**acct**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/acct/5/markdown) (or [**pacct**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pacct/5/markdown)) for further de‐ tails. _/var/log/account_ This directory contains pacct files which contain the binary process accounting data as written by the kernel. ## AUTHOR The GNU accounting utilities were written by Noel Cragg <>. The man page was adapted from the accounting texinfo page by Susan Kleinmann <>. ## SEE ALSO [**last**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/last/1/markdown), [**acct**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/acct/5/markdown) 1995 October 31 [LASTCOMM(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LASTCOMM/1/markdown)