Why idle users should be killed (was Re: Preventing Idle in telnet)

[GarBear Irick]

Dan Bernstein writes:
>
>Hey, folks, guess which program solves this problem too!
>
>Rather than forcibly logging the tty out, disconnect it (by sending a
>HUP to the pty signaller, for example). The user can log in any time
>later and get back to exactly where he was in the session. Naturally,
>this has the effect of an autolock: the user needs his password to log
>in so that he can get back into the session. And it's not as drastic as
>an autologout.
>
>pty. It slices! It dices! It autodisconnects! :-)
>
>---Dan

Is there ANYONE else out there who is sick and tired of hearing people sing
the praises of pty?  It may be a durn fine piece of code, but I don't think
ANYTHING deserves the hype that I have been seeing...  Maybe, SOMEDAY, when
our machine *GETS* pty, I will see the light... :)  Please, let's suggest
some solutions with EXISTING tools, just ONCE, ok, Dan?  Not all of us are
fortunate enough to have "pty: the wonder-program", and would like to solve the
problem with old tools put to new uses.  One more "use pty, of course!" answer,
and I think I may be forced to bite the head of a live consultant...  :-)

-- 
Gary A. Irick,  Purdue University | "You can log out any time you like,
INTERNET: irick at en.ecn.purdue.edu |  But you can never leave!"
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