This manual page is for Mac OS X version 10.6.3

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ASLMANAGER(8)                            BSD System Manager's Manual                           ASLMANAGER(8)

NAME
     aslmanager -- Apple System Log data store file manager

SYNOPSIS
     aslmanager [-s store_dir] [-a [archive_dir]] [-ttl days] [-size max_size]

DESCRIPTION
     aslmanager manages files in the ASL data store written by the syslogd server.

     aslmanager is started automatically at various times.  It runs shortly after the syslogd server starts,
     upon receipt of the first message after midnight (local time), and any time a file in the ASL data
     store directory (/var/log/asl) reaches a maximum size limit as specified to the syslogd server.

     Command-line options may be specified in the aslmanager launch plist file.  However, aslmanager reads
     the /etc/asl.conf file which may also contain parameter settings.  Settings in the asl.conf file will
     override those given on the command line.

     aslmanager scans through the files in the ASL data store directory /var/log/asl, or some other direc-tory directory
     tory specified following the -s flag, or by the setting of the store_path parameter in asl.conf.  Data
     files that are older than the default 7 day time-to-live are either archived or removed.  Files that
     contain messages with explicit expire times are removed or archived monthly after all thier contents
     expire.  The default 7 day time-to-live value may be overridden by supplying a value following the -ttl
     flag, or by the setting of the store_ttl parameter in asl.conf.  A value of zero allows files to remain
     in the store with no time limit.

     A maximum size for the entire data store may be provided as a value following the -size flag, or by the
     setting of the max_store_size parameter in asl.conf.  This will cause aslmanager to archive (if
     enabled) and remove files until the total size of the data store is max_size bytes or less.  The
     default value is 150000000 bytes.  A value of zero means the size is unlimited.  An unlimited size
     specification should be used with great caution, since a runaway process could quickly fill all avail-able available
     able disk space.  Files are removed in order starting from oldest to newest.  Files with the same date
     are removed in standard lexigraphic sort order by file name.

     Files are either removed entirely or copied to an archive directory.  If the -a flag is specified with
     no argument, files are copied to the /var/log/asl.archive directory.  An alternate directory path may
     be specified following the -a flag.  The archive parameter setting in asl.conf enables or disables ar-chiving. archiving.
     chiving.  The archive parameter requires a value of "1" to enable archiving, or a value of "0" to dis-able disable
     able it.  An option archive directory path may follow the "0" or "1".

SEE ALSO
     syslogd(8), syslog(1), asl(3), asl.conf(5), syslog(3).

HISTORY
     The aslmanager utility appeared in Mac OS X 10.6.

Mac OS X                                      December 7, 2007                                      Mac OS X