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WHO

Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: February 2026
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NAME

who - show who is logged on  

SYNOPSIS

who [,OPTION/]... [ ,FILE | ARG1 ARG2 /]  

DESCRIPTION

Print information about users who are currently logged in.

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-a'-a, --allX'tty: link'

same as -b -d --login -p -r -t -T -u

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-b'-b, --bootX'tty: link'

time of last system boot

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-d'-d, --deadX'tty: link'

print dead processes

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-H'-H, --headingX'tty: link'

print line of column headings

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-l'-l, --loginX'tty: link'

print system login processes

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-lookup'--lookupX'tty: link'

attempt to canonicalize hostnames via DNS

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-m'-mX'tty: link'

only hostname and user associated with standard input

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-p'-p, --processX'tty: link'

print active processes spawned by init

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-q'-q, --countX'tty: link'

all login names and number of users logged on

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-r'-r, --runlevelX'tty: link'

print current runlevel

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-s'-s, --shortX'tty: link'

print only name, line, and time (default)

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-t'-t, --timeX'tty: link'

print last system clock change

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-T'-T, -w, --mesgX'tty: link'

add user's message status as +, - or ?

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-u'-u, --usersX'tty: link'

list users logged in, including idle time

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-message'--messageX'tty: link'

same as -T

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/coreutils.html#wh-writable'--writableX'tty: link'

same as -T

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/who#wh-help'--helpX'tty: link'

display this help and exit

X'tty: link https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/who#wh-version'--versionX'tty: link'

output version information and exit

If FILE is not specified, use ,/var/run/utmp/. ,/var/log/wtmp/ as FILE is common. If ARG1 ARG2 given, -m presumed: 'am i' or 'mom likes' are usual.  

AUTHOR

Written by Joseph Arceneaux, David MacKenzie, and Michael Stone.  

REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-coreutils@gnu.org

Report Gentoo bugs to: https://bugs.gentoo.org/
GNU coreutils home page: <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/>
General help using GNU software: <https://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>
Report any translation bugs to <https://translationproject.org/team/>  

SEE ALSO

Full documentation <https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/who>
or available locally via: info aq(coreutils) who invocationaq

Packaged by Gentoo (9.10 (p0))
Copyright © 2026 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

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Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

AUTHOR

REPORTING BUGS

SEE ALSO