Inconsistent output from the w command between Debian and openSUSE - tde-users

15 Apr 2026


      In openSUSE, in Konsole, when I issue the w command I get output like this:
| @23:24:30 leslie@chestnut
| wd = /home/leslie
| $ w
|  23:24:52 up 15 days, 10:49,  4 users,  load average: 0.60, 0.59, 0.59
| USER     TTY      FROM             LOGIN@   IDLE   JCPU   PCPU WHAT
| leslie   pts/33   192.168.1.116    21:09    9:48   0.18s  0.00s sshd: leslie 
[priv]
| leslie   pts/34   192.168.1.116    21:17    4.00s  0.03s  0.00s w
| rc = 0
whereas in Debian I see:
| @23:59:39 leslie@toreador
| wd=/home/leslie
| $ w
|  23:59:52 up 23 days, 23:39,  0 users,  load average: 0.16, 0.20, 0.18
| USER     TTY      FROM             LOGIN@   IDLE   JCPU   PCPU  WHAT
| rc=0
Why is it that on Debian, the active terminals aren't listed?
Also, the who commands' outputs are different, though both show the active 
terminal sessions.  openSUSE:
| @23:24:52 leslie@chestnut
| wd = /home/leslie
| $ who -H
| NAME     LINE         TIME             COMMENT
| leslie   pts/33       2026-04-14 21:09 (192.168.1.116)
| leslie   pts/34       2026-04-14 21:17 (192.168.1.116)
| rc = 0
and Debian:
| @23:59:52 leslie@toreador
| wd=/home/leslie
| $ who -H
| NAME     LINE         TIME             COMMENT
| leslie   seat0        2026-03-22 12:12 (:0)
| rc=0
Why the difference?
The reason I'm looking at these is that I want to find out which are remote 
sessions and which are using su; so the w command, which lists a session's 
tty name, its ip address, and whether it is privileged (at least on openSUSE; 
Debian seems less helpful.)
Leslie