Loading ...Lighttpd rotating log files with logrotate tool
Last time I wrote about setting up virtual hosting for Lighttpd web server. Naturally next step is to setup log rotating with logrotate which rotates, compresses log files.
Our setup
Our sample setup has total 6 log files:
Default domain/IP log files:
/var/log/lighttpd/access.log
/var/log/lighttpd/error.log
nixcraft.com virtual domain log files:
/var/log/lighttpd/nixcraft.com/access.log
/var/log/lighttpd/error.log
theos.in virtual domain log files:
/var/log/lighttpd/theos.in/access.log
/var/log/lighttpd/theos.in/error.log
logrotate Configuration
All you need to do is open/create logrotate configuration file for lighttpd. Open file /etc/logrotate.d/lighttpd:
# vi /etc/logrotate.d/lighttpd
Append following text:
"/var/log/lighttpd/*.log" "/var/log/lighttpd/nixcraft.com/*.log " "/var/log/lighttpd/theos.in/*.log " {
missingok
copytruncate
rotate 7
compress
notifempty
sharedscripts
postrotate
/etc/init.d/lighttpd reload
endscript
}
Where,
- "/var/log/lighttpd/*.log" "/var/log/lighttpd/nixcraft.com/*.log " "/var/log/lighttpd/theos.in/*.log ": Log files with wild card specification as per our setup.
- missingok: If the log file is missing, go on to the next log file without issuing an error message.
- copytruncate: Truncate the original log file to zero size in place after creating a copy, instead of moving the old log file and optionally creating a new one
- rotate 7: Log files are rotated 7 times before being removed or mailed to the address specified in a mail directive. If count is 0, old versions are removed rather then rotated.
- compress: Old versions of log files are compressed with gzip to save disk space.
- notifempty: Do not rotate the log if it is empty
- sharedscripts
postrotate
/etc/init.d/lighttpd reload
endscript: The lines between postrotate and endscript (both of which must appear on lines by themselves) are executed after the log file is rotated. These directives may only appear inside a log file definition. In our case we are reloading lighttpd. Other opting could be send –HUP single using kill command.
Make sure crond runs automatically after system reboot
Now your logs will rotate with logrotate command which is called from cronjob (/etc/cron.daily/logrotate) everyday. So make sure crond is running all the time:
# /etc/init.d/crond start
# chkconfig --list crond
# chkconfig crond on
Alternatively, run text based GUI tool for same purpose (Redhat/CentOS/Fedora and friends):
# ntsysv
If you are using Debian Linux, type the following command to configure crond using text based GUI tools:
# rcconf
Alternatively you can use update-rc.d command (Debian / Ubuntu Linux) to start crond automatically after system reboot:
# update-rc.d crond defaults
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You may also be interested in other helpful articles:
- Lighttpd install and configure Webalizer statistics software
- Installing and configuring lighttpd webserver - HOWTO
- Howto: Lighttpd web server setting up virtual hosting
- Download of the day: Lighttpd web server 1.4.17
- Lighttpd web server and php eAccelerator cache problem
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Tags: access log, compress, compresses, domain log, lighttpd, log files, rotate lighttpd log files, virtual domain, virtual hosting
If you are running BSD, you can use BSD’s newsyslog to do the same. Just add this line to /etc/newsyslog.conf:
/var/log/lighttpd.access.log \
644 7 * $D0 \
B /var/run/lighttpd.pid
It rotates the lighttpd access log everyday at midnight, saves seven previous logs, and sends -HUP to lighttpd. See “man newsyslog.conf” for more information.
Oops, left out the owner:group parameter:
/var/log/lighttpd.access.log www
Sigh… it got truncated:
/var/log/lighttpd.access.log www:www 644 7 * $D0 B /var/run/lighttpd.pid
(If you have lighttpd running as a different user/group than www, modify accordingly.)
Colin,
Thanks for sharing newsyslog configuration directive
Appreciate your post.
What is this crond above refers to if u please tell me then its really helpful to me