Logrotate command snippets

Copy-paste-ready Logrotate commands and configuration blocks for common log management tasks.

Force Rotate All Log Files with Logrotate

Logrotate forces immediate rotation of all configured log files with the -f flag. This command ignores schedule and size conditions:

sudo logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.conf

Force Rotate a Single Application Log with Logrotate

Logrotate can target a single application configuration file to force rotation for that application only:

sudo logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/{YOUR_APP}

Run Logrotate in Debug Mode

Logrotate simulates rotation without modifying any files when invoked with the -d flag. Use debug mode to test configuration changes:

sudo logrotate -d /etc/logrotate.conf

Run Logrotate with Verbose Output

Logrotate prints detailed processing information with the -v flag. Combine with -f to see exactly what happens during forced rotation:

sudo logrotate -vf /etc/logrotate.conf

Remove Rotated Log Files Older Than 30 Days with Logrotate

Logrotate deletes rotated files older than the specified number of days when the maxage directive is set. Add this directive to the application configuration block in /etc/logrotate.d/:

/var/log/{YOUR_APP}/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 14
    maxage 30
    compress
    missingok
    notifempty
}

Move Rotated Log Files to a Different Directory with Logrotate

Logrotate moves rotated files to a separate directory with the olddir directive. The target directory must exist before Logrotate runs:

/var/log/{YOUR_APP}/*.log {
    weekly
    rotate 4
    compress
    olddir /var/log/{YOUR_APP}/archive
    missingok
    notifempty
}

Add Date Stamps to Rotated Filenames with Logrotate

Logrotate appends a date suffix instead of a numeric counter when the dateext directive is active. Combine with dateformat to control the format:

/var/log/{YOUR_APP}/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 14
    compress
    dateext
    dateformat -%Y%m%d
    extension .log
    missingok
    notifempty
}

Logrotate Configuration with Postrotate Hook for Nginx

Logrotate sends the USR1 signal to Nginx after rotation so that Nginx reopens its log files. The sharedscripts directive ensures the signal runs once per rotation cycle:

/var/log/nginx/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 14
    compress
    delaycompress
    missingok
    notifempty
    create 0640 www-data adm
    sharedscripts
    postrotate
        [ -f /var/run/nginx.pid ] && kill -USR1 $(cat /var/run/nginx.pid)
    endscript
}

Logrotate Configuration with Copytruncate for Apache HTTP Server

Logrotate copies and truncates the log file in place with the copytruncate directive. This avoids the need to reload Apache HTTP Server after rotation:

/var/log/apache2/*.log {
    weekly
    rotate 12
    compress
    delaycompress
    copytruncate
    missingok
    notifempty
}

Check Logrotate State File

Logrotate stores the last rotation timestamp for each log file in its state file. View this file to verify rotation history:

cat /var/lib/logrotate/status

View the Default Logrotate Cron Job

Logrotate runs daily through a cron job or systemd timer. Check the cron job entry to confirm it exists:

cat /etc/cron.daily/logrotate