User:Johannbg/Packaging/LogFiles

Fedora Log Files

This document describes the guidelines for log file(s), for use and inclusion in Fedora packages.

Log Files on the filesystem

Packages with log files must reside in their own directory under /var/log which must be named /var/log/$package_name

Each log file in that directory must end with .log filename.

Each package that ships log files must also ship a logrotation file that rotates the log file(s).

Log Files Packaging

...

Name:
.....
Source1: %{name}.logrotate
Requires: logrotate

%install
...
mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_localstatedir}/log/%{name}
mkdir -p $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_sysconfdir}/logrotate.d
%{__install} -p -D -m 0700 %{SOURCE1} $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_sysconfdir}/logrotate.d/%{name}.conf

%files
...
%config(noreplace) %{_sysconfdir}/logrotate.d/%{name}.conf
%dir %attr(0700,root,root) %{_localstatedir}/log/%{name}

Logrotate file

If a package contains a logfile then it needs to also include a properly installed logrotate file.

For the purposes of these guidelines, a log file is defined as an text file that an application outputs into in the /var/log/ directory.

Each logrotate file must end with the filename .conf. It must be placed /etc/logrotate.d/ and must have 0644 filepermission and be owned by root.

Here are examples of an logrotate file.

Example minimal logrotate file

/var/log/example/*log {
	missingok		# If the log file is missing, go on to the next one without issuing an error message
	notifempty		# Don't do any rotation if the logfile is empty
	compress		# Compress older files with gzip
	delaycompress		# Don't compress yesterdays files
}

Example minimal logrotate log file with user create mode

/var/log/example/*log {
	missingok		# If the log file is missing, go on to the next one without issuing an error message
	notifempty		# Don't do any rotation if the logfile is empty
	compress		# Compress older files with gzip
  	delaycompress		# Don't compress yesterdays files
	create 640 owner group  # Set create mode immediately after rotation
}

Example minimal logrotate file with daemon restart

/var/log/example/*log {
	missingok		# If the log file is missing, go on to the next one without issuing an error message
	notifempty		# Don't do any rotation if the logfile is empty
	compress		# Compress older files with gzip
  	delaycompress		# Don't compress yesterdays files
	sharedscripts		# Scripts are only run once for all files in directory
	postrotate
		/usr/bin/systemctl restart example.service 2>/dev/null || true
	endscript
}

Example minimal logrotate file with user create mode and daemon restart

/var/log/example/*log {
	missingok		# If the log file is missing, go on to the next one without issuing an error message
	notifempty		# Don't do any rotation if the logfile is empty
	compress		# Compress older files with gzip
  	delaycompress		# Don't compress yesterdays files
	create 640 owner group  # Set create mode immediately after rotation
	sharedscripts		# Scripts are only run once for all files in directory
	postrotate
		/usr/bin/systemctl restart example.service 2>/dev/null || true
	endscript
}

Debugging logrotate file
You can debug your logrotate file by running

# logrotate -d -f /etc/logrotate.d/example.conf

from the command line.