SYSLOGD(8)

NAME
syslogd - log systems messages

SYNOPSIS
syslogd [-d] [-f config_file] [-m mark_interval] [-p log_socket] [-u]

DESCRIPTION
Syslogd reads and logs messages to the system console, log files, other machines and/or users as specified by its configuration file. The options are as follows:

-d  Enable debugging to the standard output, and do not disassociate from the controlling terminal.

-f  Specify the pathname of an alternate configuration file; the default is /etc/syslog.conf.

-m  Select the number of minutes between ``mark'' messages; the default is 20 minutes.

-u  Select the historical ``insecure'' mode, in which syslogd will accept input from the UDP port. Some software wants this, but you can be subjected to a variety of attacks over the network, including attackers remotely filling logs.

-p  Specify the pathname of an alternate log socket; the default is /dev/log.

Syslogd reads its configuration file when it starts up and whenever it receives a hangup signal. For information on the format of the configuration file, see syslog.conf(5).

Syslogd opens an Internet domain socket as specified in /etc/services. Normally syslogd will only use this socket to send messages outwards, but in `insecure'' mode it will also read messages from this socket. Syslogd also opens and reads messages from the UNIX domain socket /dev/log, and from the special device /dev/klog (to read kernel messages).

Syslogd creates the file /var/run/syslog.pid, and stores its process id there. This can be used to kill or reconfigure syslogd.

The message sent to syslogd should consist of a single line. The message can contain a priority code, which should be a preceding decimal number in angle braces, for example, ‘<5.>’ This priority code should map into the priorities defined in the include file <sys/syslog.h>.

FILES
/etc/syslog.conf
    The configuration file.
/var/run/syslog.pid
    The process id of current syslogd.
/dev/log
    Name of the UNIX domain datagram log socket.
/dev/klog
    The kernel log device.

SEE ALSO
logger(1), syslog(3), services(5), syslog.conf(5)

HISTORY
The syslogd command appeared in 4.3BSD.