Get output of /var/log/syslog to eg. tty10

tiuz · 02-09-2016, 10:09 AM

Hello,

Via /etc/inittab it was possible to have a line:

c7:12345:respawn:/usr/bin/tail -F /var/log/syslog>/dev/tty10

to get everything that is logged to syslog can be monitored at tty10

Since Debian 8 and systemd there is no more inittab so how would i do this with systemd to get /var/log/syslog to tty10 ?

I know there is a setting in /etc/rsyslog.conf but i would prefer it like described above.

Thx.

unSpawn · 02-10-2016, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiuz

Since Debian 8 and systemd there is no more inittab so how would i do this with systemd to get /var/log/syslog to tty10 ?

- create an /etc/systemd/system/logtail.service file with what you want and enable that service,
- do an 'exec' a the end of /etc/rc.d/rc.local and enable the service,
- use an "@reboot" /etc/crontab line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiuz

I know there is a setting in /etc/rsyslog.conf but i would prefer it like described above.

Why?

tiuz · 02-11-2016, 06:08 AM

Hmm, time to get more familiar with systemd, also i feel it´s a 100 arms kraken :-)

What i don´t get (fully) is why to bother with rc.local and cron wouldn´t one service file which creates tty10 and print the log to it be enough?

Some time ago a serial console was used to print messages to it and with the setting in rsyslogd.conf this didn´t work very reliable, and as a quick "workaround" i used the line in /etc/inittab for that one.

unSpawn · 02-11-2016, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiuz

Hmm, time to get more familiar with systemd, also i feel it´s a 100 arms kraken :-)

That's just perception. Think Rene Magritte ;-p Systemd is just a tool.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiuz

What i don´t get (fully) is why to bother with rc.local and cron wouldn´t one service file which creates tty10 and print the log to it be enough?

LOL no, I gave you three options. As in OR, not AND-ed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tiuz

with the setting in rsyslogd.conf this didn´t work very reliable

Not reliable in what way?

tiuz · 02-12-2016, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unSpawn

That's just perception. Think Rene Magritte ;-p Systemd is just a tool.

Yep, :-) a tool with 100 arms :-) (And around 900 configs and files that belonging to it)...

LOL no, I gave you three options. As in OR, not AND-ed.

Hmm, having on line in /etc/inittab with SYS-V init against having to do three things with systemd to get the same result...

Doesn´t look like an improvement to me...

I´ll play around with that when i have more time to look into it as currently i not only have the time but also don´t want to play around with systemd.

Not reliable in what way?

Having this activated in rsyslogd.conf sometimes just didn´t work, got some error logs (can´t remember what they where since it´s been a few years now) It was a bit like "coin tossing" - most times after reboot it worked some times it didn´t. While the inittab-way always worked.

Well, maybe i´ll give it a try again in a fresh install.

Thanks,
tz.

tiuz · 02-12-2016, 04:27 PM

An update on that !

I did a fresh (clean) install of Debian Jessie (Virtual machine with virtualbox) and i tested one of the options.

I choose to add tail -F /var/log/....blablabla to /etc/rc.local

I made sure rc.local will be executed by systemd when booting and guess what, it works.

So for some reason something must have gone wrong during the update from Debian 8 to 9 on the machine where i wanted to use that setting.

Time for some research.

tz