Why doesn't 'w' or 'who' command show all logged in users?

Question

I'm not sure what it is and what is DotNetOpenAuth. Can you explain it in few words? I am investigating about the management of users in a web application (asp.net mvc)

Solution

Desktop users won't normally show up in who because LightDM doesn't record your desktop login in utmp (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/lightdm/+bug/871070).

I wonder if, while you're testing this, you're leaving your terminal windows open:

1. You open an xterm and run who from your own account. You're the only user with a terminal, so it only lists you. The other accounts might be running sessions in the background, but they don't get listed because LightDM didn't record their login.
2. You leave the xterm open on your own account, switch to the kid's account, open an xterm there, and run who. Your account is still listed because it's connected to the xterm that you left running.
3. You leave that xterm open on your kid's account, switch to your wife's account, open another xterm and run who. Now all three accounts have terminals open, so who lists all of them.

Comments

[Safari]

you think, is it convenient to use this? what are the biggest advantages to be gained?

[Oded]

@GgSalent - That's a very different question from the one you asked and that I have answered. I suggest you ask this as a new question.

[BubbaJ]

cscarney, you are absolutely correct. That's exactly what I was doing. I started with my account, executed the "who" command from the terminal, left the session and terminal open as you described and switched to each subsequent user. As I went along, the users listed with the "who" command were the users with the terminal window still open in the session. That explains why I was getting different users with each test, it was dependent on which user still had the terminal window open. I didn't realize this was a bug already logged in lightdm. Thanks for the response.

[wisbucky]

Is there any way to see desktop login history?