Arch Linux

KimTjik

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-08-22

Posts: 715

Logrotate and crond - how should it be configured?

My question might have a simple answer. Nevertheless I spent some time searching, reading man files and so on, but still I'm uncertain whether scheduled logrotate tasks are active. The daemon crond is running.

I read that logrotate has a main configuration file which logically is called "logrotate.conf" and it should naturally be located in /etc. When I look into my system I notice that I don't have any "logrotate.conf", but only the directory "logrotate.d". I might be mistaken but a lot of information seem to suggest that installing "logrotate" should automatically generate a default "logrotate.conf" file.

As it is now I need to make something myself probably, because the "crond.daily" includes a "logrotate" file with the following code:

#!/bin/sh

/usr/sbin/logrotate /etc/logrotate.conf

So it's searching for a none existing configuration file. Is this a bug, or was I mistaken when assuming "logrotate.conf" should have been generated automatically?

I've been searching for how a default "logrotate.conf" file should look like, but I'm still confused. Man page gives a fairly complicated alternative of something that I don't think fit my criteria. I've searched the Wiki, Googled, but not found any consensus making any sense to me.

Acpid is also generating a lot of output but I haven't been able to track down how that log-file is managed; will it just grow or is it emptied from time to time. Maybe I could just include a "/var/log/acpid.log" line to for example the syslog-ng? Or is this controlled by some other script? Anyway since "logrotate.conf" is missing nothing has happened to any of the log-files since initial install the 6th of august.

A long post maybe, but if someone could point me into the right direction I would appreciate it much.

PS. "slim.log" generates a lot of output when using kde dependent programs, and it's growing and growing. I saw a mailing list about such a bug in September, but didn't find out whether it was solved or not. Nevertheless my issue is probably foremost to get it scheduled by crond. DS

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 13,155

Re: Logrotate and crond - how should it be configured?

That file is present on my system :

pacman -Qo /etc/logrotate.conf
/etc/logrotate.conf is owned by logrotate 3.7.1-4

Try re-installing logrotate .

---

Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

KimTjik

Member

From: Sweden

Registered: 2007-08-22

Posts: 715

Re: Logrotate and crond - how should it be configured?

Lone_Wolf your advice worked, so now a "logrotate.conf" file is present. Let's see how it will work.

My question about "acpid.log" has also been solved, because now "/var/log/acpid.log" is present in the "syslog-ng.pacnew".

Unfortunately I've no clue to what caused my previously strange setup of "logrotate". Hence my experience probably is of no help.

Thanks for your help!