[NBLUG/talk] Install fest & Linux history file if any

[Marty Kamp]

Andrew, thanks for the response.  I found the ".bash_history" file with no
problem.  It only had about 15 lines - I thought there would be more - but it
may have the critical information.

= = = = = = Marty Kamp = = = = = = =

---------- Original Message -----------
From: Andrew <argonaut at gmx.co.uk>
To: talk at nblug.org
Sent: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:48:05 -0700
Subject: Re: [NBLUG/talk] Install fest & Linux history file if any

> Marty Kamp wrote on Sun, 18 Mar 2007 11:49:38 -0700:
> 
> > I had the idea that maybe Ubuntu somewhere
> > keeps a log of the keyboard activity. That would help me to
> > re-create the process, which I may need to repeat when I
> > install Ubuntu 7.xx or get a new laptop.
> 
> You're in luck, Marty. Well... maybe. The bash shell does keep a
> log of past commands that you've issued. This file is called
> ".bash_history" (note the preceding dot -- if you don't know
> about "dot files", you may want to google for that term) and
> it's located in your home directory. It keeps a history of
> recent commands (by default the last 500, but that can be
> changed) that you've typed at the command line.
> 
> If you haven't done a large amount of command line work since
> your system was installed, the commands you want may still be
> in .bash_history. Do this:
> 
> 1. If you are not logged in as the computer administrator (the
> first user that you created when you installed Ubuntu), become
> that user by whatever means you like. I assume the configuration
> you're talking about was done as this user.
> 
> 2. Make sure you are in the administrator's home directory by
> typing "cd" (without the quotes) at the command line.
> 
> 3. Make a copy of the .bash_history file with a command like
> this:    cp .bash_history bash_history_from_install
> Note that the name of the file to which you're copying doesn't
> have a dot. There's no real need to hide the new file by using a
> preceding dot.
> 
> 4. If you think the new file might contain commands that others
> shouldn't see, make sure it's readable and writable only by the
> administrator:    chmod 600 bash_history_from_install
> 
> 5. Look in the new file for the commands you want. For this you
> can use a text editor (graphical or console) or command line
> tools like more, less, or grep.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> A.
> 
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------- End of Original Message -------