Is there a default way to run commands on user's logout?

Question

I want to log the logins/logouts of my users.

For the logins I only need to modify /etc/profile and add my command or edit any .profile for an specific user.

But for the logouts I don't know if there is a default/centralized way to do it like /etc/profile for logins.

I see some example for CLI sessions, but I want to register GUI/CLI sessions.

Thanks

I'm not sure you can rely on /etc/profile for non-shell sessions in general - even for logins. To do this properly, you'll probably need to use PAM. See for example Hook into linux authentication to run script or program when certain conditions are met or another project that appears to be more active pam-hooks — steeldriver, Feb 16 '22 at 13:08
thanks for the comment, i've been using /etc/profile without problems and works smoothly. Nevertheless i'll check it out your recommendation — raultm, Feb 16 '22 at 13:12
I'm not saying /etc/profile can't work - it's just that it relies on the user's X (or Wayland etc.) session being started as a child of a Bourne-type login shell - which is not a given. See for example X session wrapper. — steeldriver, Feb 16 '22 at 13:22
Actions upon logout won't run in the event of a crash or system reset or power loss. So you must also create a check at login to discover whether the logout job ran. — user535733, Feb 16 '22 at 13:34
Does this answer your question? execute script when closing terminal — Artur Meinild, Feb 17 '22 at 08:57

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Feb 16 '22 at 15:35

2

From the manual (man bash):

When a login shell exits, bash reads and executes commands from the files ~/.bash_logout and /etc/bash.bash_logout, if the files exists.

answered Feb 16 '22 at 15:35

CPH

that is for CLI not for GUI, isn't it? – raultm Feb 17 '22 at 11:51
I know it works for CLI. Not sure about GUI however. If you are wanting specifically for GUI I must have misunderstood the question. I'm not sure of in that case – CPH Feb 17 '22 at 15:42

1 Answers1