Capture Session

[Allanm]

Hi All,

I am in need to capture session data (commands and output which are executed during that login session) and put that in a file(date wise saved).

Shell is tcsh. Has anyone setup something like that using script command?

Please suggest.

Thanks,
Allan.

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

HI Allan:

# man script

Since 'script' is a standalone utility, you can execute it in/from any shell.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Mel Burslan]

As James said, you can use script command without any reservations, but looking at your post, I have a suspicion that you want to use this tool/contraption to log anf monitor the user activity.

If this is your intention, keep in mind that, when you execute the script command, the typescript file (or any other name you choose) gets created by the ownership of the user, who is running the shell. Hence, it is open to modification by the user. So, if they chose to delete lines out of it, they can do it without anyone else noticing.

If what you are doing is just to document what you are doing while in the shell, script utility is perfectly fine for it.

HTH

[Allanm]

I tried adding to my .bashrc but it goes into a loop and I am not able to exit out -

script -a /tmp/log

Is there a proper implementation of this command?

Thanks,
Allan.

[Dennis Handly]

>I tried adding to my .bashrc but it goes into a loop and I am not able to exit out

I don't think you can. The user must invoke it manually.
Is it the last command in .bashrc?

[Allanm]

yes its the last command.

Is there something which I can put in .bashrc or .cshrc to record commands and output and route it to a file?

Thanks,
Allan.

[Dennis Handly]

>Is there something which I can put in .bashrc or .cshrc to record commands and output and route it to a file?

Well. in a real shell you set use "set -x" to record execution of commands.

[Allanm]

Thanks for replying Dennis, is there a tcsh shell equivalent of set -x?

Regards,
Allan.

[Dennis Handly]

>is there a tcsh shell equivalent of set -x?

For the scummy C shell there is:
set echo

See the "-x" command option.
And for -v: set verbose

[INH]

#script /tmp/xyz.txt
#command 1
#command 2
.
.
.
.
.
.
#commandn
#exit

you will have the output in /tmp/xyz.txt file

you may refer man pages of script