From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Wed Jan  5 22:01:15 2005
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B279216A4E3
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed,  5 Jan 2005 22:01:15 +0000 (GMT)
Received: from tarjoilu.luukku.com (tarjoilu.luukku.com [194.215.205.232])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8997D43D55
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Wed,  5 Jan 2005 22:00:52 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from reko.turja@liukuma.net)
Received: from localhost (mta1-o.i.luukku.com [10.0.1.112])
	by mta1-o.i.luukku.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2FFF1150243;
	Thu,  6 Jan 2005 00:00:49 +0200 (EET)
Received: from rekon (92a7.dsl.mtv3.fi [82.203.167.146])
	by tarjoilu.luukku.com (Postfix) with SMTP id EC788150013;
	Thu,  6 Jan 2005 00:00:48 +0200 (EET)
Message-ID: <040201c4f372$06d09210$92a7cb52@rekon>
From: "Reko Turja" <reko.turja@liukuma.net>
To: <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>, <atkielski.anthony@wanadoo.fr>
References: <1761142680.20050104050725@wanadoo.fr>
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 00:00:53 +0200
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	format=flowed;
	charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2527
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2527
Subject: Re: Running top on system console without being logged on
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>,
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2005 22:01:16 -0000

> I'd like to run top on the system console to keep an eye on the 
> system,
> but I'd prefer not to have the console logged on to do so.  Is there 
> an
> elegant way to do this?

How about creating a user like this with vipw:
topper::userno:groupno::0:0:Topper Harley:/nonexistent:/usr/bin/top
and then just logging in on spare console screen as topper?

I'm not sure if there are security implications though, even if the user 
is not member of the wheel group etc.

-Reko