savelog

SAVELOG(8)                                                          SAVELOG(8)



NAME
       savelog - save a log file

SYNOPSIS
       savelog  [-m  mode] [-u user] [-g group] [-t] [-p] [-c cycle] [-l] [-j]
       [-C] [-d] [-l] [-r rolldir] [-n] [-q] 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 becase 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 cycle-2 is moved to
              version cycle-3, version cycle-1 is moved to version  cycle-2  ,
              and so on.  Finally version 0 is moved to version 1, and version
              cycle 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.

              Since the version numbers start with 0, version number cycle  is
              never formed.  The cycle count must be at least 2.


OPTIONS
       -m mode
              chmod the log files to mode

       -u user
              chown log files to user

       -g group
              chgrp log files to group

       -c cycle
              Save cycle versions of the logfile (default: 7)

       -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

       -C     force cleanup of cycled logfiles

       -d     use standard date for rolling

       -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.



Debian                           12 April 2003                      SAVELOG(8)