Why FINGER, WHO and W don't match sometime

Prabal Acharyya acharyya at wizard.cis.ohio-state.edu
Fri Jun 15 05:36:45 AEST 1990


Here is a list of commands and there responses on the machine
	element.eng.ohio-state.edu a SUN 4/330 running Sun-OS 4.0.3

p set prompt="`hostname`: "
---------------------------------------------------------------
element: who
layne    console Jun 14 14:57
layne    ttyp0   Jun 14 14:57
layne    ttyp1   Jun 14 14:57
layne    ttyp2   Jun 14 14:57
layne    ttyp3   Jun 14 14:57
layne    ttyp4   Jun 14 14:57
layne    ttyp5   Jun 14 14:58
prabal   ttyp6   Jun 14 14:45   (crazy.eng.ohio-s)
locum    ttyp7   Jun 14 12:01  << NOT SHOWN IN FINGER >>
locum    ttyp8   Jun 14 12:01
locum    ttypd   Jun 14 12:00
locum    ttype   Jun 14 12:00
----------------------------------------------------------------
element: w
  3:13pm  up 11 days,  5:36,  2 users,  load average: 7.09, 7.01, 7.00
User     tty       login@  idle   JCPU   PCPU  what
layne    console   2:57pm    16                clock -Wp 0 0 -Ws 1152 900 -WP 0
layne    ttyp0     2:57pm    15                -bin/tcsh
layne    ttyp1     2:57pm    15                -bin/tcsh
layne    ttyp2     2:57pm    15                -bin/tcsh
layne    ttyp3     2:57pm    15                emacs
layne    ttyp4     2:57pm    12      4      3  -bin/tcsh
layne    ttyp5     2:58pm    15                -bin/tcsh
prabal   ttyp6     2:45pm            7      2  w
locum    ttyp7    12:01pm 7days                -
locum    ttyp8    12:01pm  3:12 1239:28 1239:28  src/database
locum    ttypd    12:00pm252days                - << 252 DAYS !!!!
locum    ttype    12:00pm252days                -    THE MACHINES WAS
						     REBOOTED ONLY LAST
						     MONTH >>
----------------------------------------------------------------
element: finger @element
[element]
Login       Name              TTY Idle    When    Where
layne    Layne Flake           co    6 Thu 14:57
prabal   Prabal K. Acharyya    p6      Thu 14:45  crazy.eng.ohio-s
	<< ?? WHERE IS LOCUM, ISN"T HE LOGGED IN , HE IS NOT REALLY  >>
----------------------------------------------------------------
element: ps auxf | m
USER       PID %CPU %MEM   SZ  RSS TT STAT START  TIME COMMAND
locum    10647 11.0  1.0   40   72 p8 R    Jun 13223:40 src/database
locum    10398 10.6  1.0   40   72 p9 R    Jun 13226:50 lytix
locum     8668 10.2  1.0   40   72 pa R    Jun 12364:20 lytix

............... some other processes ..........................

root       131  0.0  0.0   40    0 ?  I    Jun  3  0:00  (nfsd)
hardy      280  0.0  1.1   48   80 co I    Jun  3  0:21 selection_svc
          << WHY THEN HARDY OR ROOT IS SPARED IN W ??? >>
============================================

As you can see, the user locum logged in at ttyp7,8, d & e are not
shown in finger. I know the user locum is not really logged in, and
though the processes shown by w exist ( in ps) !!!.

But why is the discrepancy ? user locum has those background processes 
also root or some other users (hardy). But they are not listed in who/w/finger
only locum is listed. 

Please clarify.  Thanks in advance.

				- Prabal 
Note:
	All of the above names (prabal, locum , hardy and layne are valid
	users of the system)

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Prabal Acharyya        |  Ph: (614) 292 3681
206 W. 18th Ave,       |  E-mail: All mails are forwarded to
The Ohio State Univ.   |  	 prabal at element.eng.ohio-state.edu
Columbus, OH 43210     |      

(I am not an UNIX wizard, so please be mild in your whips.)



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