<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html><head><title>rsyslog.conf file</title></head> <body> <h1>rsyslog.conf configuration file</h1> <p><b>This document is currently being enhanced. Please pardon its current appearance.</b></p> <p><b>Rsyslogd is configured via the rsyslog.conf file</b>, typically found in /etc. By default, rsyslogd reads the file /etc/rsyslog.conf. This may be changed by a command line option.</p> <p><a href="http://wiki.rsyslog.com/index.php/Configuration_Samples"> Configuration file examples can be found in the rsyslog wiki</a>.</p> <p>There is also one sample file provided together with the documentation set. If you do not like to read, be sure to have at least a quick look at <a href="rsyslog-example.conf">rsyslog-example.conf</a>. </p> <p>While rsyslogd contains enhancements over standard syslogd, efforts have been made to keep the configuration file as compatible as possible. While, for obvious reasons, <a href="features.html">enhanced features</a> require a different config file syntax, rsyslogd should be able to work with a standard syslog.conf file. This is especially useful while you are migrating from syslogd to rsyslogd.</p> <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_modules.html">Modules</a></h2> <h2>Lines</h2> Lines can be continued by specifying a backslash ("\") as the last character of the line. There is a hard-coded maximum line length of 4K. If you need lines larger than that, you need to change compile-time settings inside rsyslog and recompile. <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_global.html">Configuration Directives</a></h2> <h2>Basic Structure</h2> <p>Rsyslog supports standard sysklogd's configuration file format and extends it. So in general, you can take a "normal" syslog.conf and use it together with rsyslogd. It will understand everything. However, to use most of rsyslogd's unique features, you need to add extended configuration directives.</p> <p>Rsyslogd supports the classical, selector-based rule lines. They are still at the heart of it and all actions are initiated via rule lines. A rule lines is any line not starting with a $ or the comment sign (#). Lines starting with $ carry rsyslog-specific directives.</p> <p>Every rule line consists of two fields, a selector field and an action field. These two fields are separated by one or more spaces or tabs. The selector field specifies a pattern of facilities and priorities belonging to the specified action.<br> <br> Lines starting with a hash mark ("#'') and empty lines are ignored. </p> <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_templates.html">Templates</a></h2> <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_output.html">Output Channels</a></h2> <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_filter.html">Filter Conditions</a></h2> <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_actions.html">Actions</a></h2> <h2><a href="rsyslog_conf_examples.html">Examples</a></h2> <p>Here you will find examples for templates and selector lines. I hope they are self-explanatory. If not, please see www.monitorware.com/rsyslog/ for advise.</p> <h2>Configuration File Syntax Differences</h2> <p>Rsyslogd uses a slightly different syntax for its configuration file than the original BSD sources. Originally all messages of a specific priority and above were forwarded to the log file. The modifiers "='', "!'' and "!-'' were added to make rsyslogd more flexible and to use it in a more intuitive manner.<br> <br> The original BSD syslogd doesn't understand spaces as separators between the selector and the action field.<br> <br> When compared to syslogd from sysklogd package, rsyslogd offers additional <a href="features.html">features</a> (like template and database support). For obvious reasons, the syntax for defining such features is available in rsyslogd, only.</p> <p>[<a href="rsyslog_conf.html">back to top</a>] [<a href="manual.html">manual index</a>] [<a href="http://www.rsyslog.com/">rsyslog site</a>]</p> <p><font size="2">This documentation is part of the <a href="http://www.rsyslog.com/">rsyslog</a> project.<br> Copyright © 2008,2009 by <a href="http://www.gerhards.net/rainer">Rainer Gerhards</a> and <a href="http://www.adiscon.com/">Adiscon</a>. Released under the GNU GPL version 3 or higher.</font></p> </body> </html> >