How do I see everything a specific user is doing right now?
Aug 11, 2026
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by John Britto
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1 min read
Quick Linux Tip #32 :
Try: w linuxteck
Info: w <user> lists active sessions and current commands; ps -u <user> lists all running processes.
Examples:
$ w # View all logged-in users
$ last linuxteck | head # Check recent login history
$ lslogins linuxteck # User account details and password policy
Note: w displays IDLE time (keyboard inactivity), JCPU (total process CPU), and PCPU (current task CPU). Perfect for rapid user auditing.
LinuxTeck.com
linuxteck@ubuntu:~$ w linuxteck
10:34:56 up 12 days, 3:45, 3 users, load average: 0.42, 0.38, 0.35
USER TTY FROM LOGIN@ IDLE JCPU PCPU WHAT
linuxteck pts/0 192.168.1.100 09:23 0.00s 0.15s 0.03s w linuxteck
linuxteck pts/1 192.168.1.100 09:45 15:23 0.08s 0.02s vim nginx.conf
linuxteck@ubuntu:~$ ps -u linuxteck -o pid,tty,time,cmd
PID TT TIME CMD
3456 pts/0 00:00:03 -bash
4567 pts/0 00:00:00 w linuxteck
5678 pts/1 00:00:02 vim nginx.conf
linuxteck@ubuntu:~$
About John Britto
John Britto Founder & Chief-Editor @LinuxTeck. A Computer Geek and Linux Intellectual having more than 20+ years of experience in Linux and Open Source technologies.
View all posts by John Britto →
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