How to move rotated logs to a different folder with Logrotate

Configure Logrotate to store rotated log files in a separate directory using the olddir directive.

Prerequisites

• Linux system with Logrotate installed.
• Root or sudo access to edit files in /etc/logrotate.d/.
• An existing Logrotate configuration file for the target application.

Step-by-Step: Move Rotated Logs to a Different Folder with Logrotate

1. Create the destination directory where Logrotate will store rotated log files. This example uses an archive folder within the Nginx log directory:

   sudo mkdir -p /var/log/nginx/archive

2. Open the Logrotate configuration file for the target application:

   sudo nano /etc/logrotate.d/nginx

3. Add the olddir directive inside the log file block. Logrotate moves rotated files to the specified directory:

   /var/log/nginx/*.log {
       weekly
       rotate 12
       compress
       olddir /var/log/nginx/archive
       missingok
       notifempty
   }

   Logrotate moves each rotated file from /var/log/nginx/ to /var/log/nginx/archive/ during rotation. The active log file remains in the original directory.

   

4. Save the configuration file and exit the editor.

5. Test the updated Logrotate configuration in debug mode:

   sudo logrotate -d /etc/logrotate.d/nginx

   Logrotate displays the target directory for each rotated file without modifying any files.

How to Verify Rotated Logs Move to the New Folder

Force a rotation and check the destination directory:

sudo logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/nginx
ls -la /var/log/nginx/archive/

Logrotate places the rotated and compressed files in the archive directory.

Common Issues When Moving Rotated Logs with Logrotate

Logrotate reports "error: olddir does not exist."The olddir target directory must exist before Logrotate runs. Create it with mkdir -p and set ownership matching the log files.

Logrotate cannot move files across filesystems.The olddir directory must reside on the same filesystem as the original log files. Logrotate uses rename() which does not work across mount points. To archive logs on a different partition, use a postrotate script with mv or rsync instead.

Permissions prevent Logrotate from writing to the archive directory.Set the directory ownership and permissions to match the user and group that Logrotate runs as (typically root):

sudo chown root:root /var/log/nginx/archive
sudo chmod 755 /var/log/nginx/archive

For a full reference of all Logrotate directives, see the Logrotate directives reference.