A simple way to log browser/OS upon login?

[Mandr4ke]

Hello all,

Unless I'm mistaken, there's no way to find the user agent (browser, secondarily OS) in forum members login using the administrative forum tools. I have two questions:

- Does the database log user agent, along with IP, in both login and post events?

- What would be the simpler way to print to a log file user agent info in login time?

Any pointers will be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Kindred]

install google analytics?

[Mandr4ke]

Thanks - Indeed that would return global statistics, but If there's no way outside of phpMyAdmin to check user agent data, I'm looking for a way to output to a log the raw data, and I suppose the right moment to do so would be at login.

So, I'd need a custom edit in sources/Loginout.php? If so, it's probably simple but my php is still defficient and I haven't found a mod to do simply that without altering more features, such as board display templates.

[Arantor]

There's no way *inside* of it either seeing how the overall user agent is not generally preserved (it is sort of grabbed for sensitive actions for certain types of tests where the agent shouldn't change between requests)

Using Google Analytics would certainly give you a meaningful overview of the users using it.

Using your kind of analytics does put a burden on storage especially if you have very active users that post a lot. I dread to think about the space usage just my posts would brew up.

I guess the question really is: what are you actually hoping to find?

[Illori]

maybe http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1515 would help?

[Arantor]

I think the OP noticed that since he commented on a mod that edits templates (which that certainly does)

[Mandr4ke]

maybe http://custom.simplemachines.org/mods/index.php?mod=1515 would help?

Thanks, I know that mod as Arantor observed. The issue is that it necessarily changes templates and is based on post action.

I guess the question really is: what are you actually hoping to find?

Yes, this is really the question. And I apologize for not giving more details (I would have no problems whatsoever in being specific in PM) but what I want to do is to find the user agent for one specific member of a community I'm an admin for. A member that has committed fraud, and keeps logging in the forums. The usual pieces of available information are not helping to trace him and we have reasons to believe user agent information might help. Or it might be obfuscated, and then the effort is pointless, but we wanted to try, if possible.

Of course I understand that if obtaining this information is seen as a breach of privacy (besides IP and other infos we already have) and an unacceptable request, then please lock this thread. But if obtaining that is feasible, it would be important for us.

[Arantor]

It's definitely on the iffy grounds in terms of privacy. But it sounds to me like you have excellent cause to do so and I have no problems offering up help in that sort of situation. As you can probably imagine I'm... hesitant to offer it up publicly for the people who *would* abuse it.

I'm not averse to building you something privately for it but for that you'd probably have to wait a few days for me to schedule some time for it or if you needed it faster, we could always discuss that privately.

I was going to get into the realms of using IP addresses but I'd assume there would be a certain amount of proxies going on if they're really going for it, in which case I'd also assume there would be alternative browsers too - but at the same time I'm well aware there's no accounting for stupidity.

[Mandr4ke]

Arantor - this is much appreciated.

I will send you now a less cryptic PM and I (and others) will greatly welcome any help whenever you have a moment available.

Thanks to all.