logrotate

Overview

The logrotate command manages log files by rotating, compressing, and mailing them. It helps prevent log files from consuming too much disk space.

Syntax

logrotate [options] config_file

Common Options

Option	Description
`-d`	Debug mode
`-f`	Force rotation
`-m command`	Mail command
`-s statefile`	Use alternate state file
`-v`	Verbose mode
`--usage`	Display brief usage
`-g group`	Override group
`-u user`	Override user

Configuration Directives

Directive	Description
`rotate N`	Keep N old logs
`size size`	Rotate if bigger
`create mode owner group`	File creation attributes
`compress`	Compress old versions
`delaycompress`	Postpone compression
`notifempty`	Don’t rotate empty files
`missingok`	Skip missing files
`copytruncate`	Copy and truncate
`dateext`	Date extension
`mail address`	Mail old versions

Key Use Cases

Log management
Disk space control
Archive maintenance
Compliance requirements
System maintenance

Examples with Explanations

Example 1: Basic Configuration

/var/log/messages {
    rotate 7
    daily
    compress
    delaycompress
    missingok
    notifempty
}

Example 2: Size-based Rotation

/var/log/large.log {
    size 100M
    rotate 5
    compress
    create 0644 root root
}

Example 3: Weekly Rotation

/var/log/weekly.log {
    weekly
    rotate 4
    create 0640 www-data www-data
    compress
}

Common Usage Patterns

Force rotation:
```
logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.conf
```
Debug config:
```
logrotate -d /etc/logrotate.conf
```
Verbose mode:
```
logrotate -v /etc/logrotate.conf
```

Security Considerations

File permissions
Compression safety
Mail configuration
Access control
Script execution

Additional Resources

Best Practices

Regular testing
Size monitoring
Compression planning
Retention policy
Error handling

Configuration Examples

Daily rotation
Size-based rotation
Custom scripts
Mail notification
Compression options

Troubleshooting

Rotation timing
Permission issues
Space problems
Script errors
Mail delivery