How to find/list data on all server users

[martin MHC]

I am viewing the server "Load Averages" page and have a user I do not recognise hogging 44% of the server CPU (0.44 of 4.00).

The username is "chrony" which is not associated with any account list for the server.

a) Is there a method within WHM to list ALL users
rather than simply currently active users?

The user is intermittent. The user does not appear on any incidental lists that I can find (stats, etc.); It does appear on the "Daily Process Log" but as all zeros, and this gives me no meta- information as to who this user is or what their role is.

b) How can I find out who this user is; usership creation date or other useful meta-data?

Due to the prevelance of the words "user" and "owner" I have been unsuccessful in Searching the interenet for useful answers to this.

Thanks

 

[nixuser]

/var/cpanel/accounting.log

This file contains records of cPanel account actions, such as creation and deletion.

The mentioned user is not listed in WHM > Account Information > List Accounts?

 

[martin MHC]

Thank you. I will take a look there.

The account "chrony" does not exist in the "Accounting.log" file. This log file only lists Account holders which is a subset of users!

The mentioned user is not listed in WHM > Account Information > List Accounts?

No, the user is not an account holder.

 

[nixuser]

Does the user exists on /etc/passwd file? Check it with the command:

grep chony /etc/passwd

 

[martin MHC]

Does the user exists on /etc/passwd file? Check it with the command:

grep chony /etc/passwd

Sorry I had a misspelling of the username. It is chrony. I manually explored the file and found:

chrony:x:997:995::/var/lib/chrony:/sbin/nologin

 

[martin MHC]

No issue- chrony is a RedHat application for controlling the clock value on the server. Why this entity was taking up such a large amount of CPU is odd, however.

Reference: news.fastdot.com/how-to-install-and-use-chrony-in-linux/

 

[nixuser]

Yes, it's the NTP daemon.

 

[martin MHC]

Is it usual for this daemon to spike resources usage?

 

[cPanelLauren]

As noted previously chrony is the NTP software for red hat (as already noted) 18.3. Using chrony - Red Hat Customer Portal and shouldn't be using excessive resources, it wouldn't be completely abnormal for a momentary spike if it was reloading or something of that nature but would definitely be unusual to be substantially using a large number.

a) Is there a method within WHM to list ALL users

The best way to list any and all cPanel specific users would be to go to list accounts - this won't list system users though

b) How can I find out who this user is; usership creation date or other useful meta-data?

for cPanel users the accounting log as noted previously should provide these answers.

 

[martin MHC]

Hi @cPanelLauren thanks for your response.

To clarify, while I have found the user in this instance, I was looking in a more macro- level as to how to view all server users that exist? I use List accounts extensively and recognise account holders and some other users when their tags appear on things, such as the resource usage monitor.

for cPanel users the accounting log as noted previously should provide these answers.

This only records users with accounts; and these can be found on the Account List as you reference above.

*

So far the best method to view all users on a server seems to be as given by nixuser, to view /etc/passwd

 

[cPanelLauren]

Yes, I agree, if you need to see all users on the system /etc/passwd is indeed your best bet.