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 [-dnrs] [-f config_file] [-g group] [-m mark_interval]
             [-P file_list] [-p log_socket [-p log_socket2 ...]]
             [-t chroot_dir] [-u user]


DESCRIPTION

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

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

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

     -g group         Set GID to group after the sockets and log files have
                      been opened.

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

     -n               Do not perform hostname lookups; report only numeric
                      addresses.

     -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.

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

     -r               Disable the compression of repeated instances of the
                      same line into a single line of the form ``last message
                      repeated N times''.

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

     -t chroot_dir    chroot(2) to chroot_dir after the sockets and log files
                      have been opened.

     -u user          Set UID to user after the sockets and log files have
                      been opened.

     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/syslogd.pid, and stores its process id
     there.  This can be used to kill or reconfigure syslogd.

     By using multiple -p options, one can set up 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.

     The logged message includes the date, time, and hostname (or pathname of
     the log socket).  Commonly, the program name and the process id is
     included.

     Accesses from UDP socket can be filtered by libwrap configuration files,
     like /etc/hosts.deny.  Specify ``syslogd'' in daemon_list portion of the
     configuration files.  Refer to hosts_access(5) for details.

   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/syslogd.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), newsyslog(8)


HISTORY

     The syslogd command appeared in 4.3BSD.  Support for multiple log sockets
     appeared in NetBSD 1.4.  libwrap support appeared in NetBSD 1.6.

NetBSD 2.1                     October 17, 2003                     NetBSD 2.1