syslog-97.1.tar.gz

[apple/syslog.git] / aslmanager.tproj / aslmanager.8

diff --git a/aslmanager.tproj/aslmanager.8 b/aslmanager.tproj/aslmanager.8
index 0fb9cfb1df8cb9caae46b17d4e448814f3fc1a21..4bb4ad306389ec8fb49e58c3f1070dbe09a05dfa 100644 (file)
--- a/aslmanager.tproj/aslmanager.8
+++ b/aslmanager.tproj/aslmanager.8
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.\"Copyright (c) 2004-2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
+.\"Copyright (c) 2004-2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.
 .\"
 .\"@APPLE_LICENSE_HEADER_START@
 .\"
@@ -41,31 +41,40 @@ server.
 is started automatically at various times.
 It runs shortly after the
 .Nm syslogd
-server starts, at midnight (local time) if the system is running,
+server starts, upon receipt of the first message after midnight (local time),
 and any time a file in the ASL data store directory (/var/log/asl) reaches a maximum size limit as specified to the
 .Nm syslogd
 server.
 .Pp
+Command-line options may be specified in the aslmanager launch plist file.
+However,
+.Nm
+reads the /etc/asl.conf file which may also contain parameter settings.
+Settings in the asl.conf file will override those given on the command line.
+.Pp
 .Nm
 scans through the files in the ASL data store directory /var/log/asl, or some other directory specified following the
 .Fl s
-flag.
-Files that contain only messages that are older than the default 2 day time-to-live are either archived or removed. 
-The default 2 day time-to-live value may be overridden by supplying a value following the
+flag, or by the setting of the store_path parameter in asl.conf.
+Data files that are older than the default 7 day time-to-live are either archived or removed.
+Files that contain messages with explicit expire times are removed or archived monthly after all thier contents expire.
+The default 7 day time-to-live value may be overridden by supplying a value following the
 .Fl ttl
-flag.
+flag, or by the setting of the store_ttl parameter in asl.conf.
 A value of zero allows files to remain in the store with no time limit.
 .Pp
-A maximum size may be provided as a value following the
+A maximum size for the entire data store may be provided as a value following the
 .Fl size
-flag.
+flag, or by the setting of the max_store_size parameter in asl.conf.
 This will cause
 .Nm
-to archive (if
-.Fl a
-is specified) and remove files until the total size of the data store is
+to archive (if enabled) and remove files until the total size of the data store is
 .Ar max_size
 bytes or less.
+The default value is 150000000 bytes.
+A value of zero means the size is unlimited.
+An unlimited size specification should be used with great caution,
+since a runaway process could quickly fill all available disk space.
 Files are removed in order starting from oldest to newest.
 Files with the same date are removed in standard lexigraphic sort order by file name.
 .Pp
@@ -76,12 +85,16 @@ flag is specified with no argument, files are copied to the /var/log/asl.archive
 An alternate directory path may be specified following the
 .Fl a
 flag.
+The archive parameter setting in asl.conf enables or disables archiving.
+The archive parameter requires a value of "1" to enable archiving, or a value of "0" to disable it.
+An option archive directory path may follow the "0" or "1".
 .Sh SEE ALSO
 .Xr syslogd 8 ,
 .Xr syslog 1 ,
 .Xr asl 3 ,
-.Xr syslog 3 ,
+.Xr asl.conf 5 ,
+.Xr syslog 3 .
 .Sh HISTORY
 The
 .Nm
-utility appeared in Mac OS X 10.5.6.
+utility appeared in Mac OS X 10.6.