1.2 Mandatory RC Variables

The main config file is named rc and is the first file read by rottlog. see Period related configuration options. Each line can be defined with a variable and default value, variable=value. Some variables do not need a value, variable. Variables are split in two categories: mandatory and optional. rc can be overridden by "period-related" config files.

Comments may appear anywhere in the config file as long as the first non-whitespace character on the line is a #. Example:

       # This is a valid comment
       logpart 100b # This is an INVALID comment

Following are the mandatory variables needed to make rottlog to work:

       compress=<options>
       extension=<ext>
       fromuser=<sender address>
       mail=<mailer prg> (1)
       maxdepth=<depth>
       nomail (1)
       packdir=<archive-dir>
       packer=<absolute-filename>
       pager=<pager-program>
       touser=<receiver address>
       uncompress=<options>
       unpacker=<absolute-filename>
     
       (1) Can't be used together

Where:

compress=<options>

This variable defines options to be used with the packer program to compress data

IMPORTANT: The packer program sends output to STDOUT, (ie for gzip/bzip2 use -c flag).

extension=<ext>

This variable is used to expand meta-variable @COMP_EXT, gz for gzip, bz2 for bzip2, etc.

fromuser=<sender address>

Default FROM: address in mail messages sent after each rotation.

mail=<mailer prg>

Mail program to send messages. Example:

           - for sendmail use: mail="sendmail -t"
           - for qmail use: mail="qmail-inject -h"

maxdepth=<depth>

Default maximum depth to search for files when using * glob in log filename definition block.

nomail

Don't mail rottlog's activity report. This variable is used if the 'mail' option won't be used.

packdir=<archive-dir>

Default basedir to store rotated and archived files. This variable is used to expand @DEF_DIR meta-variable.

packer=<absolute-filename>

Complete filename to be used for compressed logs.

pager=<pager-program>

Filename of program to use with --showlog parameter. It's used in a pipe, so it must be a program able to read from STDIN. The --showlog option will not be available if this variable is not defined, and each time rottlog is called, a warning message will be printed.

touser=<receiver address>

Recipient address of mail messages sent by "fromuser".

uncompress=<options>

Options to be used with unpacker program.

IMPORTANT: Unpacker program must output data to STDOUT. (For gunzip/bunzip2 use -c.)

unpacker=<complete-filename>

Complete filename to be used for uncompressed logs.