How to disable or clean up logs?

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#1

I hate logs! :stuck_out_tongue: I don’t need any of them for my simple use and they take up HD space. I’d like to disable all system logging on SUSE 11.1 with KDE. Or at least I’d like a tool to remove them periodically. I’m not very good with Linux and hate those Terminal programs and config files–I’d like something simple and effective here. :slight_smile: Thanks!

#2

Poisonous wrote:
> I’d like something simple and effective here. :slight_smile: Thanks!

how about safe, would you like it safe too? i do NOT know if the
following is safe…use at your own risk…

if it be simple enough to launch your favorite file manager as root
and just delete the logs, then:

NOTE: you didn’t mention which DE you use nor your favorite file
manager, so i’ll guess you know the name of the file manager
executable you want to launch (probably one of these: konqueror,
dolphin, or nautilus) and that you are running either KDE or Gnome, so
follow this:

  • make a full and complete system backup

  • reconsider the possibility of buying a larger hard drive and just
    ignoring the logs, until you need them

  • think about adjusting your log’s automatic archiving and deletion
    rules (so you have logs which use less space)

but, if you want to skip those three steps then:

  • press down and hold Alt key and then push F2

  • in the popped up blank type

kdesu [your favorite file manager]
OR
gnomesu [your favorite file mananger]

NOTE: pick the right one for if you are running KDE or GNOME

  • give the root password when asked

  • when the root powered file manager pops up

  • navigate to /var/log

  • delete the logs you “hate” the most

goldie
Note: Accuracy, completeness, legality, or usefulness of this posting
may be illusive…i take no responsibility whatsoever if you trash
your system…

#3

Poisonous wrote:

> I hate logs! :stuck_out_tongue: I don’t need any of them for my simple use and they take
> up HD space.

Uhhh, logs are the best side of your linux box! :slight_smile:

> I’d like to disable all system logging on SUSE 11.1 with
> KDE.

That doesn’t sound a very good path…

> Or at least I’d like a tool to remove them periodically.

That sounds a better approach :slight_smile:

You can use “logrotate” which is a tool designed for managing logs (“man
logrotate” to see what and how it does).

> I’m not
> very good with Linux and hate those Terminal programs and config
> files–I’d like something simple and effective here. :slight_smile: Thanks!

Oops. If you don’t like terminal programs you can search for any GUI
frontend for logrotate… or you can just delete
the “offending-long-time-stored-compressed” log files to free your disk.

Greetings.

–
Camaleón

#4

Go ahead, delete all your logs, but don’t expect anyone here to be able to help you effectively when things later go wrong.

Delete the old ones, sure, but I’d recommend going through those logs and making sure you’ve nailed all the warnings.

/var/log/messages saved my life last week when I had a machine that was shutting down unexpectedly. Without that log, I’d have done the Windows/Ubuntu noob remedy - to re-install and whine.