NAME

syslogd − log system messages

SYNOPSIS

/usr/etc/syslogd [ −d ] [ −fconfigfile ] [ −m interval ] [ −s ]

DESCRIPTION

syslogd reads and forwards system messages to the appropriate log files and/or users, depending upon the priority of a message and the system facility from which it originates.  The configuration file /etc/syslog.conf (see syslog.conf(5)) controls where messages are forwarded.  syslogd logs a mark (timestamp) message every interval minutes (default 20) at priority LOG_INFO to the facility whose name is given as mark in the syslog.conf file. 

A system message consists of a single line of text, which may be prefixed with a priority code number enclosed in angle-brackets (<>); priorities are defined in sys/syslog.h. 

syslogd reads from the AF_UNIX address family socket /dev/log, from an Internet address family socket specified in /etc/services, and from the special device /dev/klog (for kernel messages). 

syslogd reads the configuration file when it starts up, and again whenever it receives a HUP signal, at which time it also closes all files it has open, re-reads its configuration file, and then opens only the log files that are listed in that file.  syslogd exits when it receives a TERM signal. 

If the partition where syslogd is writing a log file becomes full, log entries will fail to be saved.  In order to fix this problem the administrator needs to make space on the partition and send a HUP signal as described above.  The typical operation would be to remove one of the log files and send a HUP signal to syslogd.  Since syslogd does not create log files which do not exist, logging won’t be restarted.  Rather than removing the file it needs to be truncated to zero length (or removed and an empty file created) followed by the sending of the HUP signal. 

As it starts up, syslogd creates the file /etc/syslog.pid, if possible, containing its process ID (PID). 

OPTIONS

−d Turn on debugging. 

−fconfigfile Specify an alternate configuration file. 

−minterval Specify an interval, in minutes, between mark messages. 

−s Symbolic expansion of kernel messages.  Causes a delay in logging the first time a kernel message that benefits from symbolic expansion is found. 

FILES

/etc/syslog.conf configuration file

/etc/syslog.pid process ID

/dev/log AF_UNIX address family  datagram log socket

/dev/klog kernel log device

/etc/services network services database

SEE ALSO

logger(1), syslog(3), syslog.conf(5), translate(5)

Solbourne Computer, Inc.  —  10 Jan 1994