topic Re: History command in Operating System - HP-UX

History command

DKC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:03:59 GMT

Hi Flock,

I am working in HPVM machine, OS 11.31 and I want to see previous command for that i am given history command but i got error.
# history
sh: fc: Cannot access or open the history file.

Anyone can assist me why history command are not working.

Thanks & Regards,
Dev

Re: History command

R.O. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:06:46 GMT

Hi,

Put these variables in your .profile:

export HISTFILE=$HOME/sh_history
export HISTSIZE=5000

Then, logout and login again and you will have the command history enabled.

Regards,

Re: History command

R.O. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:09:50 GMT

Sorry, missed a dot in front of sh_history:

export HISTFILE=$HOME/.sh_history
export HISTSIZE=5000

Regards,

Re: History command

DKC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:21:39 GMT

Hi R.O.

I have done all the task but still a getting error
Value of TERM has been set to "xterm".
WARNING: YOU ARE SUPERUSER !!

#
#
# history
sh: fc: Cannot access or open the history file.

after exporting histsize and histfile i have logout and than login but same error.

Regards,
Dev

Re: History command

Pete Randall — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:25:43 GMT

Is $HOME set? "echo $HOME" will tell you.

Try setting HISTFILE to a explicit full path name wherever root's home really is, like "HISTFILE=/.sh_history" or "HISTFILE=/root/.sh_history".

Pete

Re: History command

DKC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:37:07 GMT

Hi Pete,

echo $ HOME
/

After that i have given HISTFILE=/root/.sh_history

but still i am facing error.

# history
sh: fc: Cannot access or open the history file.

Regards,
Dev

Re: History command

R.O. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:40:43 GMT

Hi,

Are you setting HISTFILE & HISTSIZE in the user's .profile ?

Regards,

Re: History command

Torsten. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:44:54 GMT

If you set

HISTFILE=/root/.sh_history

do you have

/root ???

Re: History command

Pete Randall — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:54:11 GMT

If "echo $HOME" tells you /, as you say, then you should not be setting HISTFILE to /root/.sh_history. Set it to /.sh_history and try again.

Pete

Re: History command

DKC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:55:34 GMT

Hi,

No, I haven't set in users profile.

I am root user and want to previous command with the help of history command. For that i done export HISTFILE=/root/.sh_history
HISTFILE=500
Than logout than again login with root use but after giveing history command same error.

Regards,
Dev

Re: History command

Torsten. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:59:29 GMT

Again, if you set it to be in directory /root

this directory

/root

must exist!

Does it???

Re: History command

R.O. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:04:26 GMT

...apart from the fact that directory "/root" must exist, if you don't set the variables in your ".profile", when you logout you lost the changes in the variables. Put these lines in your .profile:

export HISTFILE=/.sh_history (if your home is "/"; is it is /root and it exists, put /root/.sh_history)
export HISTFILE=5000

Then, try again by logout/login.

Regards,

Re: History command

Pete Randall — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:11:18 GMT

What shell are you using?

Pete

Re: History command

Bill Hassell — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:11:35 GMT

There is a dumb bug in root's shell that will not create the history file automatically. Ordinary users are fine but just in case, the commands (which I put in /etc/profile so everyone gets a history file) are:

umask 022
touch $HOME/.sh_history
export HISTORY=$HOME/.sh_history
export HISTFILE=5000

>> $HOME=/

A very bad default location for root's $HOME. Create a separate /root directory and move all of root's files to /root, then change /etc/passwd so the $HOME directory is /root and not /, like this:

root:*:0:3:root user:/root:/sbin/sh

If you move root's $HOME on every Unix platform you have, you may avoid a total disaster in joining the rm -r * club.

Re: History command

Torsten. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:25:29 GMT

I agree, it is IMHO a good practice to change root's home from / to something like /root.

If you simply export these variables and then logout, the change is gone. You need to write it to .profile to make it permanent and working.

Re: History command

DKC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:26:42 GMT

Hi,

# history
sh: fc: Cannot access or open the history file.
# pwd
/
#
#

after exporting HISTFILE AND HISTSIZE logout than login same problem. You tell me from my side what infomation required, so history command work.

Dev

Re: History command

Torsten. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:29:03 GMT

Meanwhile many people wrote the very same several times - just follow the advises.

Re: History command

DKC — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:35:18 GMT

Hi,

# echo $SHELL
/sbin/sh
m using shell.

Regards,
Dev

Re: History command

R.O. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:37:29 GMT

"after exporting HISTFILE AND HISTSIZE logout than login same problem"

If you do not put these in root's ".profile" you will lose the variables each time you log out of the system......

Regards,

Re: History command

Torsten. — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:38:11 GMT

As said, add

export HISTFILE=/root/.sh_history
export HISTSIZE=5000

to your .profile and do

# mkdir /root

logout and back in.

To change root's home, modify /etc/passwd.