Extract text from Unix login logs (WTMP)
To convert WTMP login logs to another format, you need GNU Core Utilities or other System software.
To convert other file formats to the "Binary Log File" file type, you need software like GNU Core Utilities or a similar tool.
A .WTMP file is a binary log file used by Linux and Unix operating systems to maintain a continuous history of all user logins, logouts, and system events. Maintained by system tools like GNU Core Utilities, this file is critical for auditing security, investigating unauthorized access, and monitoring server uptime.
The major disadvantage of the .WTMP format is its raw binary structure. It is not a standard text file. If you attempt to open a .wtmp file in a normal text editor, it will display a wall of garbled, unreadable characters. Because it logs every single network access and reboot, these files can grow endlessly and consume significant storage if log rotation is not properly configured by the system administrator.
To properly read, audit, or share this data, users need to convert the .WTMP file into standard formats like CSV or TXT. Standard text formats allow administrators to filter entries, search for specific IP addresses, or import the data into SIEM platforms.
Because .wtmp files rely on system-specific C structures defined in the utmp.h header, they are notoriously difficult for standard online converters to process. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your WTMP file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZIP, XLSX, HIF and TEXT files.
If you want to convert WTMP file to TEXT, SYS, DLL, EXE, DRV, VXD, 386, COM, BAT, CMD, SCR or PIF, you can use GNU Core Utilities or similar software from the "Unix System Login Log" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MSI, EXE, REG, MST, LNK, CAB, CAT, DRV, INF, SYS, MSU or DLL files to WTMP, try GNU Core Utilities or another comparable tool in the "Unix System Login Log" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our WTMP converter.