NAME

       savelog - save a log file

SYNOPSIS

       savelog [-m mode] [-u user] [-g group] [-t] [-p] [-c cycle] [-l] [-j] [-J] [-1 .. -9] [-C]
       [-d] [-l] [-r rolldir] [-n] [-q] [-D dateformat] file ...

DESCRIPTION

       The savelog command saves and optionally compresses old copies of files.   Older  versions
       of file are named:

              file.<number><compress_suffix>

       where  <number>  is  the  version  number,  0  being  the newest.  Version numbers > 0 are
       compressed unless -l prevents it.  Version number 0 is not compressed  because  a  process
       might still have file opened for I/O.  Only cycle versions of the file are kept.

       If the file does not exist and -t was given, it will be created.

       For  files  that  do  exist  and have lengths greater than zero, the following actions are
       performed:

       1)     Version numbered files are cycled.  Version file.2  is  moved  to  version  file.3,
              version  file.1  is  moved to version file.2, and so on.  Finally version file.0 is
              moved to version file.1, and version file is deleted.  Both  compressed  names  and
              uncompressed  names  are  cycled,  regardless  of  -l.   Missing  version files are
              ignored.

       2)     The new file.1 is compressed unless the -l flag was given.  It is  changed  subject
              to the -m, -u, and -g flags.

       3)     The main file is moved to file.0.

       4)     If  the  -m,  -u,  -g,   -t,  or  -p flags are given, then an empty file is created
              subject to the given flags.  With the -p flag, the file is created  with  the  same
              owner, group, and permissions as before.

       5)     The new file.0 is changed subject to the -m, -u, and -g flags.

OPTIONS

       -m mode
              chmod the log files to mode, implies -t

       -u user
              chown log files to user, implies -t

       -g group
              chgrp log files to group, implies -t

       -c cycle
              Save  cycle  versions of the logfile (default: 7). The cycle count must be at least
              2.

       -t     touch new logfile into existence

       -l     don't compress any log files (default: do compress)

       -p     preserve owner, group, and permissions of logfile

       -j     compress with bzip2 instead of gzip

       -J     compress with xz instead of gzip

              For xz no strength option is set, and xz decides on the default based on the  total
              amount  of physical RAM. Note that xz can use a very large amount of memory for the
              higher compression levels.

       -1 .. -9
              compression strength or memory usage (default: 9, except for xz)

       -C     force cleanup of cycled logfiles

       -d     use standard date for rolling

       -D dateformat
              override date format, in the syntax understood by the date(1) command

       -r     use rolldir instead of . to roll files

       -n     do not rotate empty files

       -q     be quiet

BUGS

       If a process is still writing to file.0, and savelog moves it to file.1 and compresses it,
       data could be lost.

SEE ALSO

       logrotate(8)