A syssies guide to (ssh)console and conserver.
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Spying and bumping other users

sshconsole [-s] [-S] [-f] [-F]

[^]^]f] [^]^]F] [^]^]s] [^]^]S]

Conserver allows multiple users to be connected to a console but only one can be using the console at any one time (is attached). Usually this will be the first person to connect, and any subsequent connection will be read only (spy mode). If this is the case then running sshconsole -w will show who is attached and who is running in spy mode, 
[magrathea]iainr: sshconsole -w 
 gmdr@                     spy      0:00 heather
 iainr@                     attach   0:00 heather
Connection to console closed.
[magrathea]iainr:
doing ^]^]w will show similar information if you are using sshconsole. 
Enter foo's password:
[Enter `^]^]?' for help]
[no, iainr@ is attached] (1)
[read-only -- use ^E c ? for help]
iainr
Password: 
Last login: Fri Mar  9 14:39:27 from allan.dcs.ed.ac.
CTRL/C To stop x11
^C[heather]iainr: [who heather]
 foo@                   * spy      0:00 Sun Mar 11 18:14:53 2001 (2)
 iainr@                     attach   0:04 Sun Mar 11 18:14:34 2001

(1)
iainr is already attached to this console so foo drops to read-only (spy) mode.
(2)
The "*" indicates which session this is.

If we need to get access to a console and someone else is attached we can take over (bump) their session, this will show a message on the other user's screen showing who has taken over the session. 

[claise]foo: sshconsole  heather
Enter foo's password:
[Enter `^]^]?' for help]
[no, iainr@ is attached]
[replay](1)

heather console login: 
heather console login: iainr
Password: 
Last login: Mon Mar 12 09:43:53 on console
CTRL/C To stop x11
^C[heather]iainr: pwd
/a/bigga/disk/home/u8/iainr
[heather]iainr: [who heather] 
 foo@                   * spy      0:00 Mon Mar 12 09:48:27 2001
 iainr@                     attach   0:00 Mon Mar 12 09:47:56 2001
[bumped iainr@](2)

[heather]iainr: ls
6.2installdir.tgz
806-3814.pdf
Articles
Astronomy-HOWTO.sgml
Astronomy-HOWTO.tex
DEADJOE
Desktop
Mail
News
annex.def
[heather]iainr: [who heather](3)
 foo@                   * attach   0:00 Mon Mar 12 09:48:27 2001
 iainr@                     spy      0:07 Mon Mar 12 09:47:56 2001
(1)
foo logs in and as iainr is attached drops into spy mode, foo gets to see the last 20 lines on the console.
(2)
foo takes over the console by hitting excape_sequence f, iainr drops back to spy mode
(3)
If foo does ^]^]w we can see that he is now shown as attached

The equivalent session shown on iainr's terminal looks like. 
[magrathea]iainr: sshconsole heather
Enter iainr's password: (1)
[Enter `^]^]?' for help]

heather console login: iainr
Password: 
Last login: Mon Mar 12 09:43:53 on console
CTRL/C To stop x11
^C[heather]iainr: pwd
/a/bigga/disk/home/u8/iainr
[heather]iainr: 
[forced to `spy' mode by foo@](2)

[heather]iainr: ls
6.2installdir.tgz
806-3814.pdf
Articles
Astronomy-HOWTO.sgml
Astronomy-HOWTO.tex
DEADJOE
Desktop
Mail
News
annex.def

(1)
iainr logs in and starts doing things.
(2)
foo has bumped iainr and iainr's session is now read-only (spy)

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