---
title: "Unix Users"
description: ""
url: "https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/7.11.0/collection/unix-users/index.html"
---
## Introduction

Geneos Universal Unix Users Plug-in monitors your activity on a Unix or Linux host.

## Views

### View

![unix-users1](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/netprobe/system-images/image1_geneos_-_universal_unix-users_plug-in.jpg)

**Headline Legend**

<div class="table-container">
<table class="legacy-table"   style="margin-left: 0;margin-right: auto;width: 100%;mc-table-style: url('../Resources/TableStyles/ref_2_col_table.css');" cellspacing="0">
                                <col width="26%" class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1"/>
                                <col width="74%" class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1"/>
                                <thead>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Head-Header1">
                                        <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadE-Column1-Header1"><strong>Name</strong>
                                        </th>
                                        <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadD-Column1-Header1"><strong>Description</strong>
                                        </th>
                                    </tr>
                                </thead>
                                <tbody valign="top">
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyB-Column1-Body1">Total Users</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyA-Column1-Body1">Current number of user
 connections.</td>
                                    </tr>
                                </tbody>
                            </table>
                            
</div>

**Table Legend**

<div class="table-container">
<table class="legacy-table"   style="margin-left: 0;margin-right: auto;width: 100%;mc-table-style: url('../Resources/TableStyles/ref_2_col_table.css');" cellspacing="0">
                                <col width="10%" class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1"/>
                                <col width="90%" class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1"/>
                                <thead>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Head-Header1">
                                        <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadE-Column1-Header1"><strong>Name</strong>
                                        </th>
                                        <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadD-Column1-Header1"><strong>Description</strong>
                                        </th>
                                    </tr>
                                </thead>
                                <tbody valign="top">
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Line</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Line name (pseudo terminal number e.g.
 pts/3).</td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Name</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Name of the user.</td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Host</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Name or IP address of the host that
 the user connected from.</td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">LogonTime</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Time the connection is established.</td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">IdleTime</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Time elapsed since last
 input/output.</td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Command</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Command that is being run by the
 user. This column is only be populated if a
 Process or Hardware plug-in is running on the
 same Netprobe.</td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">PID</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">
                                            <p>Process ID of the original user
 shell.</p>
                                            <p class="note">Note: This is only applicable for Solaris and AIX. </p>
                                        </td>
                                    </tr>
                                    <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyB-Column1-Body1">Unauthorised</td>
                                        <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyA-Column1-Body1">
                                            <p>Only shows if
 authorised users (and/or authorised groups) are
 configured. </p>
                                            <p>Shows whether the user is
 authorised or not.</p>
                                        </td>
                                    </tr>
                                </tbody>
                            </table>
                            
</div>

## Plug-in Configuration

The UNIX-USERS plug-in should work without any initial configuration, however there are additional options available.

For Linux platforms, only the first 8 characters of the username will be processed (just like the output of the default "w" command in Linux). So, the display will only show a maximum of 8 characters.

The following parameters can be configured for this plug-in:

### userListCommand

This parameter changes the command used to get the list of current users.

Only set this parameter if the user list command does not work as expected (perhaps it is installed to a different location, or the arguments have changed between OS revisions).

Mandatory: No

Default values:
- `w` for Linux.
- `who -u` for all other Unix platforms.


**Caution**

  The Unix Users plug-in does not support commands other than the defaults. If you set this parameter to an invalid command, then the plug-in returns an error. However, the sampler continues to run with an "OK" status. 


### authorisedUsers

If authorised users are specified then an additional column, Unauthorised, will appear in the table. If a user that is not specified in the authorisedUsers list logs on, the row for that user will show 'Unauthorised'.

For Linux, the authorised user name will be trimmed to 8 characters. This means that only the first 8 characters of the authorised user name will be compared to the first 8 characters of the logged in user name.

Mandatory: No

Default: All users are authorised

### authorisedGroups

If authorised groups are specified then an additional column, Unauthorised, will appear in the table if any process running a user from that group is found.

Unix Group IDs should be specified in the Authorised Groups.

If a user from a group that is not specified in the authorisedGroups list logs on, the row for that user will show 'Unauthorised'.

Mandatory: No

Default: All users from all groups are authorised