syslog.conf(5) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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SYSLOG.CONF(5)            NetBSD Programmer's Manual            SYSLOG.CONF(5)


NAME

     syslog.conf - syslogd(8) configuration file


DESCRIPTION

     The syslog.conf file is the configuration file for the syslogd(8) pro-
     gram.  It consists of lines with two fields: the selector field which
     specifies the types of messages and priorities to which the line applies,
     and an action field which specifies the action to be taken if a message
     syslogd receives matches the selection criteria.  The selector field is
     separated from the action field by one or more tab characters.

     The Selectors function are encoded as a facility, a period (``.''), and a
     level, with no intervening white-space.  Both the facility and the level
     are case insensitive.

     The facility describes the part of the system generating the message, and
     is one of the following keywords: auth, authpriv, cron, daemon, kern,
     lpr, mail, mark, news, syslog, user, uucp and local0 through local7.
     These keywords (with the exception of mark) correspond to the similar
     ``LOG_'' values specified to the openlog(3) and syslog(3) library rou-
     tines.

     The level describes the severity of the message, and is a keyword from
     the following ordered list (higher to lower): emerg, alert, crit, err,
     warning, notice, info and debug.  These keywords correspond to the simi-
     lar (LOG_) values specified to the syslog library routine.

     See syslog(3) for a further descriptions of both the facility and level
     keywords and their significance.

     If a received message matches the specified facility and is of the speci-
     fied level (or a higher level), the action specified in the action field
     will be taken.

     Multiple selectors may be specified for a single action by separating
     them with semicolon (``;'') characters.  It is important to note, howev-
     er, that each selector can modify the ones preceding it.

     Multiple facilities may be specified for a single level by separating
     them with comma (``,'') characters.

     An asterisk (``*'') can be used to specify all facilities or all levels.

     The special facility ``mark'' receives a message at priority ``info'' ev-
     ery 20 minutes (see syslogd(8)).  This is not enabled by a facility field
     containing an asterisk.

     The special level ``none'' disables a particular facility.

     The action field of each line specifies the action to be taken when the
     selector field selects a message.  There are four forms:

     +   A pathname (beginning with a leading slash).  Selected messages are
         appended to the file.

     +   A hostname (preceded by an at (``@'') sign).  Selected messages are
         forwarded to the syslogd program on the named host.

     +   A comma separated list of users.  Selected messages are written to
         those users if they are logged in.

     +   An asterisk.  Selected messages are written to all logged-in users.

     Blank lines and lines whose first non-blank character is a hash (``#'')
     character are ignored.


EXAMPLES

     A configuration file might appear as follows:

     # Log all kernel messages, authentication messages of
     # level notice or higher and anything of level err or
     # higher to the console.
     # Don't log private authentication messages!
     *.err;kern.*;auth.notice;authpriv.none  /dev/console

     # Log anything (except mail) of level info or higher.
     # Don't log private authentication messages!
     *.info;mail.none;authpriv.none          /var/log/messages

     # The authpriv file has restricted access.
     authpriv.*                                              /var/log/secure

     # Log all the mail messages in one place.
     mail.*                                                  /var/log/maillog

     # Everybody gets emergency messages, plus log them on another
     # machine.
     *.emerg                                                 *
     *.emerg                                                 @arpa.berkeley.edu

     # Root and Eric get alert and higher messages.
     *.alert                                                 root,eric

     # Save mail and news errors of level err and higher in a
     # special file.
     uucp,news.crit                                          /var/log/spoolerr


FILES

     /etc/syslog.conf  The syslogd(8) configuration file.


BUGS

     The effects of multiple selectors are sometimes not intuitive.  For exam-
     ple ``mail.crit,*.err'' will select ``mail'' facility messages at the
     level of ``err'' or higher, not at the level of ``crit'' or higher.


SEE ALSO

     syslog(3), syslogd(8)


HISTORY

     The syslog.conf file appeared in 4.3BSD, along with syslogd(8).

NetBSD 1.4                       June 9, 1993                                2