Tom, Thanks for the speedy reply. This is the official RedHat RHEL-4 package. The full package name is postgresql-server-7.4.17-1.RHEL4.1.x86_64 Your suggested way to do log rotation looks like it will work. Hopefully we'll be able to upgrade to 8.x soon. Log rotation is built-in now, correct? Log_line_prefix looks like what I need, but most of the documentation I've seen on it is for the 8.x series or working with syslog. I'll try some things out and let you know if I hit any more snags. Thanks again. -----Original Message----- From: Tom Lane [mailto:tgl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 1:59 PM To: Kenny W Drobnack Cc: pgsql-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: rotating log files and adding timestamps to postgres logs Kenny W Drobnack <kenny.w.drobnack@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes: > I'm working with an application running on PostgreSQL 7.4.17 on RedHat > Enterprise Linux. You mean Red Hat's RHEL-4 packaging, or somebody else's? > When asked to troubleshoot a problem, I found out > the script that starts the PostgreSQL server > (/etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql) was logging to /dev/null Yeah, not the best solution :-(. Later versions of that script do better. > To try to fix this, I changed PGLOG=/dev/null to > PGLOG="| /usr/sbin/rotatelogs /var/log/pgsql 86400" That's not going to work in any shell I know about. You'd have to actually tweak the script a bit, along the lines of $SU -l postgres -c "$PGENGINE/postmaster -p ${PGPORT} -D '${PGDATA}' ${PGOPTS} &" >> $PGLOG 2>&1 < /dev/null becomes $SU -l postgres -c "$PGENGINE/postmaster -p ${PGPORT} -D '${PGDATA}' ${PGOPTS} &" 2>&1 < /dev/null | /usr/sbin/rotatelogs /var/log/pgsql 86400 > On a related note, I'm currently just doing "PGLOG=/var/log/pgsql". > It is working, but there are no timestamps in the file except for when > the database was restarted. Any configuration option that can be > changed to get timestamps in the log file? Look at log_line_prefix (I think 7.4 had that, though it's a long time ago...) regards, tom lane This communication is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument or as an official confirmation of any transaction. All market prices, data and other information are not warranted as to completeness or accuracy and are subject to change without notice. Any comments or statements made herein do not necessarily reflect those of JPMorgan Chase & Co., its subsidiaries and affiliates. This transmission may contain information that is privileged, confidential, legally privileged, and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of the information contained herein (including any reliance thereon) is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. Although this transmission and any attachments are believed to be free of any virus or other defect that might affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is virus free and no responsibility is accepted by JPMorgan Chase & Co., its subsidiaries and affiliates, as applicable, for any loss or damage arising in any way from its use. If you received this transmission in error, please immediately contact the sender and destroy the material in its entirety, whether in electronic or hard copy format. Thank you. Please refer to http://www.jpmorgan.com/pages/disclosures for disclosures relating to European legal entities. -- Sent via pgsql-admin mailing list (pgsql-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-admin