Q. How can I configure the bash shell to logout any user automatically after a period of idle time under Debian Linux or any other UNIX like operating system?
A. BASH, zsh, and ksh allows to logout all ideal user using a shell variable.
bash, zsh or ksh shell
set TMOUT variable in seconds.
tcsh shell
set autologout variable in seconds.
Append following line to your shell startup file (bash/ksh/zsh):
export TMOUT=300
If you are using tcsh, enter:
set autologout=300
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
We run this script from cron every ten minutes, killing off idle sessions that are older than 30 minutes.
Note the list of exempt users. We wouldn’t want to kill the CEO’s session.
#########################
#! /usr/bin/awk -f
BEGIN {
system(“who -u | sort +5 > /tmp/loginfile”);
system(“echo User Sessions Killed > /tmp/killedlogins”);
system(“echo `date` >> /tmp/killedlogins”);
while (getline = 1) || (timearray[2] >= 30)) &&
# list of exempt users below
($1 != “root”) &&
($1 != “legacy”) &&
#($1 != “ceo”) &&
#($1 != “cio”) &&
#
{ {
system(“ps -ef | grep ” $1 ” | awk ‘{print $2}’ | xargs kill -KILL”);
print $1, “[Idle " $6 "] Session terminated from ” $8 >> “/tmp/killedlogins”;
};
};
}
system(“rm /tmp/loginfile”);
system(“chmod 644 /tmp/killedlogins”);
}