How to configure syslog on AIX V5.3

Unlike AIX errpt, which is used primarily to log errors, syslog generates a high-level record of routine subsystem (eg, sshd, DLPAR, etc) activity.

Add a last line in /etc/syslog.conf which directs debug-level output to a filesystem in rootvg:

*.debug                 /var/adm/ras/syslog/syslog.out     rotate size 1m files 7

(You did remember to save /etc/syslog.conf as /etc/syslog.conf.orig first, right? - See the Before manually editing any file in the / and /usr filesystems for the first time, save a copy of the file best practice.) The syslog.conf line above specifies that when syslog.out reaches 1 MB in size, the syslog daemon is to rotate to a new file, renaming the existing file to syslog.out.0, any existing syslog.out.0 to syslog.out.1, etc. The syslog daemon will keep at most 7 files. That is, if /var/adm/ras/syslog/syslog.5 exists, the syslog daemon will erase it when rotating. So syslog.out files occupy at most 7 MB in /var.

Then, initiate logging:

# mkdir /var/adm/ras/syslog
# touch /var/adm/ras/syslog/syslog.out
# refresh -s syslogd
0513-095 The request for subsystem refresh was completed successfully.
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