How does log rotation work in systemd's journalctl?

How does log rotation work in systemd's journalctl?

In systemd, log rotation is managed automatically by the journal service. It uses a set of configuration options to determine when to rotate logs based on size and time.

What are the default settings for log rotation?

By default, journalctl keeps logs for a maximum of 7 days or until the total size reaches 10% of the disk space, whichever comes first.

Can I customize these settings?

Yes, you can customize log rotation settings in the /etc/systemd/journald.conf file by adjusting parameters like SystemMaxUse, SystemKeepFree, and SystemMaxFileSize.

What happens if the logs exceed the maximum size?

If the logs exceed the maximum size, the oldest entries will be deleted to make room for new ones, ensuring that the journal does not consume too much disk space.

Is there a way to manually trigger log rotation?

Yes, you can manually trigger log rotation by using the command journalctl --rotate, which forces the journal to rotate logs immediately.