Is syslog, syslog everywhere?

[Eric Coulter]

In maintaining system standards and compatibility I need to create a loghost. We have a current established logging system but since letting syslog use remoting logging on a secure LAN disconnected from the internet (and thereby preventing non-corporate users viewing the traffic) would be more cost effective that's my route and I'm sticking to it. Now, the question is, is syslog the same everywhere? No. It's not. So how do I get syslog on HP-UX 11.x to log to Sun Solaris 8? If I can't so be it I have alternate plans. But I figure IF indeed syslog is a standard (BSD - gotta love it) then I can use it. If not then how do I:
a) tell syslog to log to a remote server
b) restart syslog to start logging
c) test syslog to make sure it works

Thanks,

Eric

[Patrick Wallek]

There is a syslog daemon that is standard across most unix servers.

The file that syslog messages are logged to is DIFFERENT across platforms. In solaris, as you probably know, the file is /var/adm/messages.

[John Poff · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The syslog is pretty standard on many flavors of Unix.

Here is a recent thread that discusses how to setup syslog to point to a remote server:

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xe2b73a1c04ffd61190050090279cd0f9,00.html

To stop and restart syslog you can either do:

/sbin/init.d/syslog stop
/sbin/init.d/syslog start

Or you can just send a HUP signal to the syslogd PID to make it re-read the config file.

To test it, you can use the 'logger' command to send messages to syslogd to go into the syslog file.

JP

[Eric Coulter]

Thanks a lot gents. I wasn't sure how closely related syslog on HP-UX was to Solaris. That worked.

[Kelli Ward]

Hi Eric,

On a related sidenote, here is a pretty decent little Unix cross-reference, if your interested.

Happy Holidays,
Kel

http://www.unixguide.net/unixguide.cgi