syslogd(8) - NetBSD Manual Pages

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SYSLOGD(8)              NetBSD System Manager's Manual              SYSLOGD(8)


NAME

     syslogd - log systems messages


SYNOPSIS

     syslogd [-ds] [-f config_file] [-m mark_interval] [-P file_list]
             [-p log_socket] [-p log_socket2 ...]


DESCRIPTION

     syslogd reads and logs messages to the system console, log files, other
     machines and/or users as specified by its configuration file.  The op-
     tions are as follows:

     -d      Enable debugging to the standard output, and do not disassociate
             from the controlling terminal.

     -f      Specify the pathname of an alternative configuration file; the
             default is /etc/syslog.conf.

     -m      Select the number of minutes between ``mark'' messages; the de-
             fault is 20 minutes.

     -s      Select ``secure'' mode, in which syslogd does not open a UDP
             socket but only communicates over a UNIX domain socket.  This is
             valuable when the machine on which syslogd runs is subject to at-
             tack over the network and it is desired that the machine be pro-
             tected from attempts to remotely fill logs and similar attacks.

     -p      Specify the pathname of an log socket.  Multiple -p options cre-
             ate multiple log sockets.  If no -p arguments are created, the
             default socket of /var/run/log is used.

     -P      Specify the pathname of a file containing a list of sockets to be
             created.  The format of the file is simply one socket per line.

     syslogd reads its configuration file when it starts up and whenever it
     receives a hangup signal.  For information on the format of the configu-
     ration file, see syslog.conf(5).

     syslogd reads messages from the UNIX domain socket /var/run/log, from an
     Internet domain socket specified in /etc/services, and from the special
     device /dev/klog (to read kernel messages).

     syslogd creates the file /var/run/syslog.pid, and stores its process id
     there.  This can be used to kill or reconfigure syslogd.

     By using multiple -p options, one can setup many chroot environments by
     passing the pathname to the log socket (/var/run/log) in each chroot area
     to syslogd.  For example:
           syslogd -p /var/run/log -p /web/var/run/log -p /ftp/var/run/log

     note: the normal log socket must now also be passed to syslogd.


SYSLOG PROTOCOL NOTES

     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     The configuration file.
     /var/run/syslog.pid  The process id of current syslogd.
     /var/run/log         Name of the UNIX domain datagram log socket.
     /dev/klog            The kernel log device.


SEE ALSO

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


HISTORY

     The syslogd command appeared in 4.3BSD.  Support for multiple log sockets
     appeared in NetBSD 1.4.

NetBSD 1.4                     February 18, 1999                             2