topic Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log in Operating System - HP-UX

/var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Ricky B. Nino — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:01:28 GMT

Hi,

Does the above mentioned file log success and failure activities related to email.

Just recently noticed that this file in my system is growing too fast.

please advise...

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

eran maor — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:05:37 GMT

Hi

you are rigth .

you can delete the file with this action :

Note: You can manually run this procedure, or you can create
a cron job to perform these commands.

1. Stop the sendmail daemon:

/sbin/init.d/sendmail stop

2. Clear the log (or copy the log to another location):

cp /dev/null /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

3. Re-start the sendmail daemon:

/sbin/init.d/sendmail start

'syslogd' actually writes to the mail.log file. If the above operation
does not resolve the problem of writing to mail.log, then you should
signal syslogd to stop and re-start, forcing it to re-read its
configuration. You can do this by sending a hangup signal to the
syslogd process.

For example: kill -HUP `cat /etc/syslog.pid

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Chris Wilshaw — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:06:26 GMT

Yes, it should log whether the mail was transmitted, postponed, held etc. In most cases of failure/delay it will give a reason why, although the actual details can be a little obscure.

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Ricky B. Nino — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:11:05 GMT

Hi Eran,

Does the procedure you have mentioned is the best practice to manage the file?

All,

Is there a way to filter the activities that needs to be log. For instance only activities that fails?

Thanks...

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Michael Tully — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:11:18 GMT

You can use the 'mailq' command to see what has not been delivered. To clear the mail log:

# /sbin/init.d/sendmail stop
# cp /dev/null >/var/adm/syslog/mail.log
# /sbin/init.d/sendmail start

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

eran maor — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 09:20:22 GMT

Hi

yes , it is the best method to do it .

the issue is that you must shutdown the sendmail deamon .

if you shutdown it you can trim the file also with SAM with the option :
SAM -> routine Task -> system log files
and choose to trim .

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Fred Martin_1 — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 11:21:37 GMT

I think the level of detail that sendmail places in the log file is configurable in sendmail:

O LogLevel=9

There's a comment header in my sendmail.cf that explains it in some detail.

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Ricky B. Nino — Tue, 14 Jan 2003 23:59:15 GMT

Hi Fred,

Have read the logging level in sendmail.cf. The configuration file does not have detailed discussion on the log level except for loglevel=9.

Just in case you have a better documention related to this let me know thru here.

Many Thanks...

Re: /var/adm/syslog/mail.log

Jeff Schussele — Wed, 15 Jan 2003 00:32:29 GMT

Hi Ricky,

Another way to manage the mail.log files (and others as well) is to use SAM as follows:

Routine Tasks -> System Log Files

There you can set a recommended size & trim to that size or a percentage of it or even a line number. Of course you can trim it to zero as well. If sendmail is running SAM will mv the current file & create a zero size new mail.log & then you can do what you will with that copy.

Rgds,
Jeff