The syslog Facility

The syslogd(1M) command accepts messages sent to it from system (kernel and device driver) and user programs and handles them based on the entries in the /etc/syslog.conf file. These messages can be reporting anything from emergency situations to debugging details. Common uses include monitoring logins and recording hacking attempts. Typically, the syslogd command writes these messages to the specified log file, but other processing options are also supported. A syslog message is categorized by its source, a source facility, and a priority, or severity level.

Source Facilities

To provide better control over the handling of log messages, the facilities generating the messages can be used to determine where the messages are ...

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