What is logrotate and how do I use it?

What is logrotate and how do I use it?

Logrotate is a system utility that manages the rotation and compression of log files. It helps in preventing log files from consuming too much disk space.

How do I configure logrotate for my application logs?

You can configure logrotate by creating a configuration file in /etc/logrotate.d/. Specify the log file path, rotation frequency, and other options.

Can you give me an example of a logrotate configuration?

Sure! Here's a simple example:

/var/log/myapp/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 7
    compress
    missingok
    notifempty
}

This rotates logs daily, keeps 7 days of logs, and compresses old logs.

What happens if I don't use logrotate?

Without logrotate, log files can grow indefinitely, potentially consuming all available disk space and causing system issues.