log in /var/log/messages
 

Hi,

I have a Linux Enterprise Server 2.1 running on my server.

Did the installation sometime around Nov 2004. When I view the log in /var/log/messages I can't see any logs that was recorded since Nov 2004.

In /var/log I see messages, messages.1 , messages.2, messages.3 and messages.4 ...

When I vi file messages.4, the log was recorded sometime around March 2005 ... this means that all the "messages" file in /var/log will have is the latest log, which is today, and the first log that was recorded sometime around March 2005.

This also means that I can't view any log before March 2005 ... is this normal ?


How can I get any logs that was recorded since day 1 the server started to run?
Need advice.

Regards,
Kamal

Somewhere in your system, logrotate has been set to rotate logs at specified intervals. The interval may be file size or number of days of use. Then logrotate will close the log file and add an extension, such as .1, .2, and so on. Logrotate will also create a new messages file to begin logging anew.
The oldest saved log should be messages.1; the most recent messages in the current messages file.
You should check your system to see if you have anything running to automatically delete files after a specified period of time.

/var/log/messages
 

Hi,

In Linux Enterprise server ... in /var/log ... there's a 'secure' file. What does this file for?


Regards,
kamal

I respectfully suggest that you start a new thread with your most recrent question.
My Linux distros don't have such a file. Other users of Linux may be able to help, if you re-post the question as a new thread.