How can I set up logrotate to rotate logs hourly?
According the the Unix and Linux Administration Handbook and man, logrotate has options for daily, weekly, and monthly, but is there a way to add an hourly option?
This blog post mentions you can set size 1 and remove the time option (eg: daily) and then manually call logrotate with cron - I suppose something like
logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/my-hourly-file
but is there a more elegant solution for rotating logs hourly?
linux logrotate
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
add a comment |
According the the Unix and Linux Administration Handbook and man, logrotate has options for daily, weekly, and monthly, but is there a way to add an hourly option?
This blog post mentions you can set size 1 and remove the time option (eg: daily) and then manually call logrotate with cron - I suppose something like
logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/my-hourly-file
but is there a more elegant solution for rotating logs hourly?
linux logrotate
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
Sure. What is your operating system, what version?
– Nils
Jan 20 '12 at 20:12
ubuntu 10.04 and 11
– cwd
Jan 20 '12 at 21:22
add a comment |
According the the Unix and Linux Administration Handbook and man, logrotate has options for daily, weekly, and monthly, but is there a way to add an hourly option?
This blog post mentions you can set size 1 and remove the time option (eg: daily) and then manually call logrotate with cron - I suppose something like
logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/my-hourly-file
but is there a more elegant solution for rotating logs hourly?
linux logrotate
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
According the the Unix and Linux Administration Handbook and man, logrotate has options for daily, weekly, and monthly, but is there a way to add an hourly option?
This blog post mentions you can set size 1 and remove the time option (eg: daily) and then manually call logrotate with cron - I suppose something like
logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/my-hourly-file
but is there a more elegant solution for rotating logs hourly?
linux logrotate
linux logrotate
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
edited Jun 23 '14 at 9:16
Bernhard
7,73534067
7,73534067
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
asked Jan 20 '12 at 16:45
cwdcwd
13.9k52115157
13.9k52115157
Sure. What is your operating system, what version?
– Nils
Jan 20 '12 at 20:12
ubuntu 10.04 and 11
– cwd
Jan 20 '12 at 21:22
add a comment |
Sure. What is your operating system, what version?
– Nils
Jan 20 '12 at 20:12
ubuntu 10.04 and 11
– cwd
Jan 20 '12 at 21:22
Sure. What is your operating system, what version?
– Nils
Jan 20 '12 at 20:12
Sure. What is your operating system, what version?
– Nils
Jan 20 '12 at 20:12
ubuntu 10.04 and 11
– cwd
Jan 20 '12 at 21:22
ubuntu 10.04 and 11
– cwd
Jan 20 '12 at 21:22
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
Depending on your OS. Some (all?) Linux distributions have a directory /etc/cron.hourly where you can put cron jobs to be executed every hour.
Others have a directory /etc/cron.d/. There you can put cron-jobs that are to be executed as any special user with the usual cron-settings of a crontab entry (and you have to specify the username).
If you use either of these instead of the standard log rotatation script in /etc/cron.daily/ you should copy that script there and cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
For proper hourly rotation, also take care that the dateext directive is not set. If so, by default the first rotated file will get the extension of the current date like YYYYMMDD. Then, the second time logrotate would get active within the same day, it simply skips the rotation even if the size threshold has exceeded.
The reason is that the new name of the file to get rotated already exists, and logrotate does not append the content to the existing old file.
For example on RHEL and CentOS, the dateext directive is given by default in /etc/logrotate.conf. After removing or commenting that line, the rotated files will simply get a running number as extension until reaching the rotate value. In this way, it's possible to perform multiple rotations a day.
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
add a comment |
Just to add to Nils answer, if changing the location of the logrotate script on a Debian or Ubuntu box, it's probably safer to use dpkg-divert instead of just copying the file and copying /dev/null to the original position e.g.:
dpkg-divert --add --rename --divert /etc/cron.hourly/logrotate /etc/cron.daily/logrotate
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
add a comment |
Thanks @Nils, regarding cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
How to make sure/perform this ? what is the original position ? as there is no such file in my CentOS machine.
Thanks for your comment
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
add a comment |
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3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Depending on your OS. Some (all?) Linux distributions have a directory /etc/cron.hourly where you can put cron jobs to be executed every hour.
Others have a directory /etc/cron.d/. There you can put cron-jobs that are to be executed as any special user with the usual cron-settings of a crontab entry (and you have to specify the username).
If you use either of these instead of the standard log rotatation script in /etc/cron.daily/ you should copy that script there and cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
For proper hourly rotation, also take care that the dateext directive is not set. If so, by default the first rotated file will get the extension of the current date like YYYYMMDD. Then, the second time logrotate would get active within the same day, it simply skips the rotation even if the size threshold has exceeded.
The reason is that the new name of the file to get rotated already exists, and logrotate does not append the content to the existing old file.
For example on RHEL and CentOS, the dateext directive is given by default in /etc/logrotate.conf. After removing or commenting that line, the rotated files will simply get a running number as extension until reaching the rotate value. In this way, it's possible to perform multiple rotations a day.
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
add a comment |
Depending on your OS. Some (all?) Linux distributions have a directory /etc/cron.hourly where you can put cron jobs to be executed every hour.
Others have a directory /etc/cron.d/. There you can put cron-jobs that are to be executed as any special user with the usual cron-settings of a crontab entry (and you have to specify the username).
If you use either of these instead of the standard log rotatation script in /etc/cron.daily/ you should copy that script there and cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
For proper hourly rotation, also take care that the dateext directive is not set. If so, by default the first rotated file will get the extension of the current date like YYYYMMDD. Then, the second time logrotate would get active within the same day, it simply skips the rotation even if the size threshold has exceeded.
The reason is that the new name of the file to get rotated already exists, and logrotate does not append the content to the existing old file.
For example on RHEL and CentOS, the dateext directive is given by default in /etc/logrotate.conf. After removing or commenting that line, the rotated files will simply get a running number as extension until reaching the rotate value. In this way, it's possible to perform multiple rotations a day.
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
add a comment |
Depending on your OS. Some (all?) Linux distributions have a directory /etc/cron.hourly where you can put cron jobs to be executed every hour.
Others have a directory /etc/cron.d/. There you can put cron-jobs that are to be executed as any special user with the usual cron-settings of a crontab entry (and you have to specify the username).
If you use either of these instead of the standard log rotatation script in /etc/cron.daily/ you should copy that script there and cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
For proper hourly rotation, also take care that the dateext directive is not set. If so, by default the first rotated file will get the extension of the current date like YYYYMMDD. Then, the second time logrotate would get active within the same day, it simply skips the rotation even if the size threshold has exceeded.
The reason is that the new name of the file to get rotated already exists, and logrotate does not append the content to the existing old file.
For example on RHEL and CentOS, the dateext directive is given by default in /etc/logrotate.conf. After removing or commenting that line, the rotated files will simply get a running number as extension until reaching the rotate value. In this way, it's possible to perform multiple rotations a day.
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
Depending on your OS. Some (all?) Linux distributions have a directory /etc/cron.hourly where you can put cron jobs to be executed every hour.
Others have a directory /etc/cron.d/. There you can put cron-jobs that are to be executed as any special user with the usual cron-settings of a crontab entry (and you have to specify the username).
If you use either of these instead of the standard log rotatation script in /etc/cron.daily/ you should copy that script there and cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
For proper hourly rotation, also take care that the dateext directive is not set. If so, by default the first rotated file will get the extension of the current date like YYYYMMDD. Then, the second time logrotate would get active within the same day, it simply skips the rotation even if the size threshold has exceeded.
The reason is that the new name of the file to get rotated already exists, and logrotate does not append the content to the existing old file.
For example on RHEL and CentOS, the dateext directive is given by default in /etc/logrotate.conf. After removing or commenting that line, the rotated files will simply get a running number as extension until reaching the rotate value. In this way, it's possible to perform multiple rotations a day.
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
edited Nov 29 '16 at 15:33
airbjorn
32
32
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
answered Jan 20 '12 at 20:15
NilsNils
12.7k73670
12.7k73670
add a comment |
add a comment |
Just to add to Nils answer, if changing the location of the logrotate script on a Debian or Ubuntu box, it's probably safer to use dpkg-divert instead of just copying the file and copying /dev/null to the original position e.g.:
dpkg-divert --add --rename --divert /etc/cron.hourly/logrotate /etc/cron.daily/logrotate
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
add a comment |
Just to add to Nils answer, if changing the location of the logrotate script on a Debian or Ubuntu box, it's probably safer to use dpkg-divert instead of just copying the file and copying /dev/null to the original position e.g.:
dpkg-divert --add --rename --divert /etc/cron.hourly/logrotate /etc/cron.daily/logrotate
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
add a comment |
Just to add to Nils answer, if changing the location of the logrotate script on a Debian or Ubuntu box, it's probably safer to use dpkg-divert instead of just copying the file and copying /dev/null to the original position e.g.:
dpkg-divert --add --rename --divert /etc/cron.hourly/logrotate /etc/cron.daily/logrotate
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
Just to add to Nils answer, if changing the location of the logrotate script on a Debian or Ubuntu box, it's probably safer to use dpkg-divert instead of just copying the file and copying /dev/null to the original position e.g.:
dpkg-divert --add --rename --divert /etc/cron.hourly/logrotate /etc/cron.daily/logrotate
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
edited May 22 '17 at 3:42
heemayl
35.5k376105
35.5k376105
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
answered May 22 '17 at 2:06
boltronicsboltronics
412
412
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
add a comment |
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
I didn't know about this and I've been using Ubuntu for years. Thank you. :)
– Vaughany
Nov 17 '17 at 14:59
add a comment |
Thanks @Nils, regarding cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
How to make sure/perform this ? what is the original position ? as there is no such file in my CentOS machine.
Thanks for your comment
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
add a comment |
Thanks @Nils, regarding cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
How to make sure/perform this ? what is the original position ? as there is no such file in my CentOS machine.
Thanks for your comment
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
add a comment |
Thanks @Nils, regarding cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
How to make sure/perform this ? what is the original position ? as there is no such file in my CentOS machine.
Thanks for your comment
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
Thanks @Nils, regarding cp /dev/null to the original position. Else it will be reactivated by a logrotate patch-update.
How to make sure/perform this ? what is the original position ? as there is no such file in my CentOS machine.
Thanks for your comment
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
answered 17 mins ago
SarjitSSarjitS
13
13
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Sure. What is your operating system, what version?
– Nils
Jan 20 '12 at 20:12
ubuntu 10.04 and 11
– cwd
Jan 20 '12 at 21:22