SAVELOG(8) System Manager's Manual SAVELOG(8)
NAME
savelog - save a log file
SYNOPSIS
savelog [-m mode] [-u user] [-g group] [-t] [-p] [-c cycle] [-l] [-j]
[-J] [-1 .. -9] [-C] [-d] [-l] [-r rolldir] [-n] [-q] [-D dateformat]
file ...
DESCRIPTION
The savelog command saves and optionally compresses old copies of
files. Older versions of file are named:
file.<number><compress_suffix>
where <number> is the version number, 0 being the newest. Version num-
bers > 0 are compressed unless -l prevents it. Version number 0 is not
compressed because a process might still have file opened for I/O.
Only cycle versions of the file are kept.
If the file does not exist and -t was given, it will be created.
For files that do exist and have lengths greater than zero, the follow-
ing actions are performed:
1) Version numbered files are cycled. Version file.2 is moved to
version file.3, version file.1 is moved to version file.2, and
so on. Finally version file.0 is moved to version file.1, and
version file is deleted. Both compressed names and uncompressed
names are cycled, regardless of -l. Missing version files are
ignored.
2) The new file.1 is compressed unless the -l flag was given. It
is changed subject to the -m, -u, and -g flags.
3) The main file is moved to file.0.
4) If the -m, -u, -g, -t, or -p flags are given, then an empty
file is created subject to the given flags. With the -p flag,
the file is created with the same owner, group, and permissions
as before.
5) The new file.0 is changed subject to the -m, -u, and -g flags.
OPTIONS
-m mode
chmod the log files to mode, implies -t
-u user
chown log files to user, implies -t
-g group
chgrp log files to group, implies -t
-c cycle
Save cycle versions of the logfile (default: 7). The cycle count
must be at least 2.
-t touch new logfile into existence
-l don't compress any log files (default: do compress)
-p preserve owner, group, and permissions of logfile
-j compress with bzip2 instead of gzip
-J compress with xz instead of gzip
For xz no strength option is set, and xz decides on the default
based on the total amount of physical RAM. Note that xz can use
a very large amount of memory for the higher compression levels.
-1 .. -9
compression strength or memory usage (default: 9, except for xz)
-C force cleanup of cycled logfiles
-d use standard date for rolling
-D dateformat
override date format, in the syntax understood by the date(1)
command
-r use rolldir instead of . to roll files
-n do not rotate empty files
-q be quiet
BUGS
If a process is still writing to file.0, and savelog moves it to file.1
and compresses it, data could be lost.
SEE ALSO
logrotate(8)
Debian 30 Dec 2017 SAVELOG(8)