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logrotate

Introduction​

This cheat sheet provides a quick reference for some common logrotate commands and concepts. logrotate is a command-line utility used for managing log files on Unix-like operating systems.

logrotate Concepts​

Log Rotation​

logrotate helps manage log files by rotating, compressing, and optionally purging old log entries.

  • Rotate logs for a specific configuration:
    logrotate /etc/logrotate.conf

Configuration Files​

logrotate uses configuration files to specify log file locations, rotation settings, and more.

  • Edit a logrotate configuration file:
    nano /etc/logrotate.conf

Log Files​

Log files managed by logrotate are typically specified in configuration files.

  • Add a log file to a configuration file:
    /var/log/myapp.log {
      ...
    }

Log Rotation Rules​

Configuration files include rules for log rotation, including frequency and retention.

  • Rotate logs daily:

    daily

  • Keep 7 rotated log files:

    rotate 7

  • Compress rotated logs:

    compress

Post-Rotation Scripts​

You can specify scripts to execute after log rotation.

  • Execute a script after log rotation:
    postrotate
      /usr/bin/my_script.sh
    endscript

logrotate Command-Line​

  • Rotate logs for a specific configuration file:

    logrotate /etc/logrotate.conf

  • Edit the logrotate configuration file:

    nano /etc/logrotate.conf

Conclusion​

This cheat sheet covers some common logrotate commands and concepts. logrotate is a valuable tool for managing log files, ensuring that logs are rotated, compressed, and retained according to defined rules; refer to the official logrotate documentation for more in-depth information and advanced usage.