Fixing Corrupted Files and wtmp Errors

Unfortunately, the UNIX accounting system is not foolproof. Occasionally, a file will become corrupted or lost. Some of the files can simply be ignored or restored from backup. However, certain files must be fixed to maintain the integrity of the accounting system.

The wtmp files seem to cause the most problems in the day-to-day operation of the accounting system. When the date is changed and the system is in multiuser mode, a set of date change records is written into /var/adm/wtmp. The wtmpfix utility is designed to adjust the time stamps in the wtmp records when a date change is encountered. However, some combinations of date changes and reboots will slip through wtmpfix and cause acctcon to fail. For instructions on correcting wtmp problems, see "How to Fix a wtmp File".