Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 12:54:58 -0700 From: "Ronald F. Guilmette" <rfg@monkeys.com> To: Doug White <dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu> Cc: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Two questions about newsyslog(8) Message-ID: <2539.924810898@monkeys.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu, 22 Apr 1999 11:58:33 -0700. <Pine.BSF.4.03.9904221156510.7869-100000@resnet.uoregon.edu>
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In message <Pine.BSF.4.03.9904221156510.7869-100000@resnet.uoregon.edu>, you wr ote: >On Thu, 22 Apr 1999, Ronald F. Guilmette wrote: > >> >> I have a couple of system log files that would benefit from the magic >> performed by newsyslog(8), however I am concerned about trying to >> employ this program on these specific log files, because the man page >> for newsyslog(8) is not clear about a few important details of what >> this program actually does. Specifically: >> >> #1) When the current log file is being archived, is that current log >> file (simply renamed and then gzipped), or are its current contents >> copied first to `logfile.0', followed by truncation to zero length >> of the existing `logfile' file? >> >> (The answer to this question may perhaps make a BIG difference as >> to whether I can use newsyslog(8) or not on the specific log files >> I am concerned about. If it just tries to rename `logfile' to >> `logfile.0' and if the daemon process that is writing the log file >> is just holding `logfile' continuously open, then this may perhaps >> not produce the desited results.) > >If the daemon reopens its logfiles with a HUP signal, you can point >newsyslog at a pid file to run through 'kill -HUP `cat /path/to/pidfile`'. > >> #2) The man page for newsyslog(8) says that it will send a signal >> to the daemon process that is writing the log file. But when exactly >> will it do this? > >Just after it moves the log out of the way and touches the new log. > >> What I mean is: Does newsyslog(8) send the signal >> to the daemon process just after it makes a copy of (or just after >> it renames) the current log file? Is the assumption then that this >> signal should cause the daemon to close the current logfile and open >> a new one having the original (pre-archiving) filename? > >Yes. It will touch(1) the new log file since most daemons don't open >logfiles with O_CREAT. > >Read the Source, Luke! :-) Actually, being impatient for answers to these questions, that is exactly what I ended up doing. But these points ought to be documented better, e.g. in the man page for newsyslog(8). -- Ron Guilmette, Roseville, California ---------- E-Scrub Technologies, Inc. -- Deadbolt(tm) Personal E-Mail Filter demo: http://www.e-scrub.com/deadbolt/ -- FREE Web Harvester Protection - http://www.e-scrub.com/wpoison/ - Try it! -- FREE DynamicIP Spam Filtering - http://www.imrss.org/dssl/ - TELL YOUR ISP! To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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