# phpman > man > lastlog(8)

[LASTLOG(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LASTLOG/8/markdown)                           System Management Commands                           [LASTLOG(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LASTLOG/8/markdown)



## NAME
       lastlog - reports the most recent login of all users or of a given user

## SYNOPSIS
       **lastlog** [_options_]

## DESCRIPTION
       **lastlog** formats and prints the contents of the last login log /var/log/lastlog file. The
       _login-name_, _port_, and _last_ _login_ _time_ will be printed. The default (no flags) causes lastlog
       entries to be printed, sorted by their order in /etc/passwd.

## OPTIONS
       The options which apply to the **lastlog** command are:

### -b --before
           Print only lastlog records older than _DAYS_.

### -C --clear
           Clear lastlog record of a user. This option can be used only together with **-u** (**--user**)).

### -h --help
           Display help message and exit.

### -R --root
           Apply changes in the _CHROOT_DIR_ directory and use the configuration files from the
           _CHROOT_DIR_ directory.

### -S --set
           Set lastlog record of a user to the current time. This option can be used only together
           with **-u** (**--user**)).

### -t --time
           Print the lastlog records more recent than _DAYS_.

### -u --user
           Print the lastlog record of the specified user(s).

           The users can be specified by a login name, a numerical user ID, or a _RANGE_ of users.
           This _RANGE_ of users can be specified with a min and max values (_UID_MIN-UID_MAX_), a max
           value (_-UID_MAX_), or a min value (_UID_MIN-_).

       If the user has never logged in the message _**_ _Never_ _logged_ _in**_ will be displayed instead of
       the port and time.

       Only the entries for the current users of the system will be displayed. Other entries may
       exist for users that were deleted previously.

## NOTE
       The lastlog file is a database which contains info on the last login of each user. You should
       not rotate it. It is a sparse file, so its size on the disk is usually much smaller than the
       one shown by "**ls** **-l**" (which can indicate a really big file if you have in passwd users with a
       high UID). You can display its real size with "**ls** **-s**".

## CONFIGURATION
       The following configuration variables in /etc/login.defs change the behavior of this tool:

### LASTLOG___UID___MAX (number)
           Highest user ID number for which the lastlog entries should be updated. As higher user
           IDs are usually tracked by remote user identity and authentication services there is no
           need to create a huge sparse lastlog file for them.

           No **LASTLOG**___**UID**___**MAX** option present in the configuration means that there is no user ID
           limit for writing lastlog entries.

## FILES
       /var/log/lastlog
           Database times of previous user logins.

## CAVEATS
       Large gaps in UID numbers will cause the lastlog program to run longer with no output to the
       screen (i.e. if in lastlog database there is no entries for users with UID between 170 and
       800 lastlog will appear to hang as it processes entries with UIDs 171-799).



shadow-utils 4.8.1                           02/06/2024                                   [LASTLOG(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/LASTLOG/8/markdown)