Bug#1036658: release-notes: 5.1.8. rsyslog creates fewer log files - mail.log is not dropped

[Christoph Anton Mitterer]

Package: release-notes
Severity: normal
X-Debbugs-Cc: ***@debian.org

Hey.

As of now, the section says that the following files are no longer
created:
- /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err,log}*
- /var/log/lpr.log*
- /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon}*


I've looked through rsyslog's changelog.Debian.gz (for version 8.2210.0-3)
as well as the commits on salsa:
https://salsa.debian.org/debian/rsyslog/-/commit/95e5e45b6e136196a7ac9ad85882391c44b641a4
AFAIU, only /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}* are gone. mail.log is kept.


So:
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err,log}*
should be changed to:
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}*

Thanks,
Chris.


PS: CCing Michael, so he can tell when I'm wrong.

[Christoph Anton Mitterer]

Oh and there's more which IMO can be improved.

If people take the currently named pattern:
- /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err,log}*
- /var/log/lpr.log*
- /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon}*

the may accidentally delete quite some other files. e.g. anything that
starts with debug.

Also, daemon is actually daemon.log .


The following would be at least a bit more restrictive:
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.* /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*

not perfect though, cause it could still select unrelated files like
/var/log/debug.myproject.log



Cheers,
Chris.

[Michael Biebl]

See https://salsa.debian.org/ddp-team/release-notes/-/merge_requests/177

Oh and there's more which IMO can be improved.
- /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err,log}*
- /var/log/lpr.log*
- /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon}*
the may accidentally delete quite some other files. e.g. anything that
starts with debug.
Also, daemon is actually daemon.log .
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.* /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*
not perfect though, cause it could still select unrelated files

It only matches compressed files though

Maybe just drop the “*” and leave it up to the user

[Christoph Anton Mitterer]

Post by Michael Biebl
See 
https://salsa.debian.org/ddp-team/release-notes/-/merge_requests/177

Ah... sorry I hadn't looked there.

Post by Michael Biebl

  /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log
/var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
  /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.*
/var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*
not perfect though, cause it could still select unrelated files 

It only matches compressed files though 

Mine? That I don't understand... I have the ones with just the name of
the logfile itself... and then .*, which should match the non-
compressed .0, .1, etc. as any .0.xz, .1.xz, etc.?

Post by Michael Biebl
Maybe just drop the “*” and leave it up to the user 

I personally would even tend to that... and add a note like:

"Beware, that these don't match any rotated files which may have
extensions like .0, .1, .0.xz, .1.xz, et cetera."

Especially as there not even a guarantee that the extension for
compressed files will be the well-known ones (given logrotate has
`compressext` option).


Cheers,
Chris.

[Michael Biebl]

Post by Christoph Anton Mitterer

Post by Michael Biebl

  /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log
/var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
  /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.*
/var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*
not perfect though, cause it could still select unrelated files

It only matches compressed files though

Mine? That I don't understand... I have the ones with just the name of
the logfile itself... and then .*, which should match the non-
compressed .0, .1, etc. as any .0.xz, .1.xz, etc.?

Sorry, I meant: It (the expresssion like /var/log/lpr.log.*) only
matches rotated files, but not the actual log file itself.

[Christoph Anton Mitterer]

Post by Christoph Anton Mitterer

Post by Michael Biebl

   /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log
/var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
   /var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.*
/var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*
not perfect though, cause it could still select unrelated files

It only matches compressed files though

Mine? That I don't understand... I have the ones with just the name of
the logfile itself... and then .*, which should match the non-
compressed .0, .1, etc. as any .0.xz, .1.xz, etc.?

Sorry, I meant: It (the expresssion like /var/log/lpr.log.*) only
matches rotated files, but not the actual log file itself.

But for that I would have had both:
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.* /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*


Anyway... if everyone agrees that we should leave out the rotated files
and leave that up to the user (which a note bout that being the case in
the release notes)... it would IMO be safer.

I could make a PR if desired so.


Cheers,
Chris.

[Michael Biebl]

Post by Christoph Anton Mitterer

Sorry, I meant: It (the expresssion like /var/log/lpr.log.*) only
matches rotated files, but not the actual log file itself.

/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err} /var/log/lpr.log /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}
/var/log/mail.{info,warn,err}.* /var/log/lpr.log.* /var/log/{messages,debug,daemon.log}.*

Indeed, I overlooked that part.

Post by Christoph Anton Mitterer
Anyway... if everyone agrees that we should leave out the rotated files
and leave that up to the user (which a note bout that being the case in
the release notes)... it would IMO be safer.
I could make a PR if desired so.

In the interest of keeping the list of file names short, I wouldn't
duplicate them (one with .* and one without). But that's just a personal
preference.

[Paul Gevers]

Hi,

Post by Michael Biebl

Post by Christoph Anton Mitterer
Anyway... if everyone agrees that we should leave out the rotated files
and leave that up to the user (which a note bout that being the case in
the release notes)... it would IMO be safer.
I could make a PR if desired so.

In the interest of keeping the list of file names short, I wouldn't
duplicate them (one with .* and one without). But that's just a personal
preference.

My proposal is here:
https://salsa.debian.org/ddp-team/release-notes/-/merge_requests/180 (I
don't like the repetition, but I feel it's best like that)

Paul

[Debian Bug Tracking System]

Your message dated Thu, 8 Jun 2023 12:06:35 +0200
with message-id <39e4666e-46a0-aee1-470c-***@debian.org>
and subject line Re: release-notes: 5.1.8. rsyslog creates fewer log files - mail.log is not dropped
has caused the Debian Bug report #1036658,
regarding release-notes: 5.1.8. rsyslog creates fewer log files - mail.log is not dropped
to be marked as done.

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