NAME
syslogd
—
log systems messages
SYNOPSIS
syslogd |
[-dnu ]
[-a path]
[-f config_file]
[-m mark_interval]
[-p log_socket]
[-s reporting_socket] |
DESCRIPTION
syslogd
reads and logs messages to the
system console, log files, pipes to other programs, other machines and/or
users as specified by its configuration file.
The options are as follows:
-a
path- Specify a location where
syslogd
should place an additional log socket. Up to about 20 additional logging sockets can be specified. The primary use for this is to place additional log sockets in /dev/log of various chroot filespaces. -d
- Enable debugging to the standard output, and do not disassociate from the controlling terminal.
-f
config_file- Specify the pathname of an alternate configuration file; the default is /etc/syslog.conf.
-m
mark_interval- Select the number of minutes between “mark” messages; the default is 20 minutes.
-n
- Print source addresses numerically rather than symbolically. This saves an
address-to-name lookup for each incoming message, which can be useful when
combined with the
-u
option on a loghost with no DNS cache. Messages from the local host will still be logged with the symbolic local host name. -p
log_socket- Specify the pathname of an alternate log socket to be used instead; the default is /dev/log.
-s
reporting_socket- Specify path to an
AF_LOCAL
socket for use in reporting logs stored in memory buffers using syslogc(8). -u
- Select the historical “insecure” mode, in which syslogd will accept input from the UDP port. Some software wants this, but you can be subjected to a variety of attacks over the network, including attackers remotely filling logs.
syslogd
reads its configuration file when
it starts up and whenever it receives a hangup signal. For information on
the format of the configuration file, see
syslog.conf(5).
syslogd
creates the file
/var/run/syslog.pid, and stores its process ID
there. This can be used to kill or reconfigure
syslogd
.
syslogd
opens an Internet domain socket as
specified in /etc/services. Normally
syslogd
will only use this socket to send messages
outwards, but in “insecure” mode it will also read messages
from this socket. syslogd
also opens and reads
messages from the UNIX-domain socket
/dev/log, and from the special device
/dev/klog (to read kernel messages).
syslogd
opens the above described socket
whether or not it is running in secure mode. If
syslogd
is running in secure mode, all incoming data
on this socket is discarded. The socket is required for sending forwarded
messages.
The message sent to syslogd
should consist
of a single line. The message can contain a priority code, which should be a
preceding decimal number in angle braces, for example,
“⟨5⟩”. This priority code should map into the
priorities defined in the include file
⟨sys/syslog.h⟩.
FILES
- /etc/syslog.conf
- configuration file
- /var/run/syslog.pid
- process ID of current
syslogd
- /dev/log
- name of the UNIX-domain datagram log socket
- /dev/klog
- kernel log device
SEE ALSO
logger(1), syslog(3), services(5), syslog.conf(5), newsyslog(8), syslogc(8)
HISTORY
The syslogd
command appeared in
4.3BSD.
CAVEATS
syslogd
does not create files, it only
logs to existing ones.