getprevcon - Linux

Overview

getprevcon retrieves and displays the console number of the previous login shell. This proves useful in multi-session scenarios and tasks involving user management.

Syntax

getprevcon

Options/Flags

This command does not support any options or flags.

Examples

• Display the console number of the previous login shell:

getprevcon

• Check if a user is logged in on a specific console:

if [ "`getprevcon`" = "1" ]; then
  echo "User logged in on console 1"
fi

Common Issues

• Incorrect console number: Ensure that the reported console number matches the actual console in use. If not, it may indicate configuration issues with the Linux system.

Integration

• Concatenate with other commands: Use getprevcon in conjunction with other commands for advanced tasks. For instance, display the username and console number of the previous login shell:

getprevcon | xargs -I{} who -m {} | cut -f1 -d' '

Related Commands

• consoletype: Display the console type of the specified console.
• who: Display information about currently logged-in users.