lastlog is huge

[Hacksaw]

>lastlog is a *sparse* file that only records the last login of each user
>at a fixed offset in the file (indexed by uid). If you have a user with a
>large uid, the file will appear huge, but ls -s will show the true size.
>
>Log rotation will not help at all.

True enough.

I must say that I find this to be of dubious utility. I suppose it's faster, 
but how many people look at lastlog so often that it needs to be as fast as 
possible? Even in the good old days when Linux was a baby penguin and real men 
wrote code on Hazeltine terminals, one called lastlog at most a few times in a 
day, mostly to see if friends had been on.

Surely a hash file makes more sense?

Oh well, maybe I'll send someone some email...
-- 
Sharp tools prevent accidents, and foster intent.
http://www.hacksaw.org -- http://www.privatecircus.com -- KB1FVD