Syslog-ng PE Syntax Check (264367)

Syslog-ng PE Syntax Check

This article details the syslog-ng syntax tool which allows for the verification of a valid syslog-ng configuration.

Once a syslog-ng configuration is created it needs to be verified to ensure its validity before starting the syslog-ng service with the created configuration.

These steps must be completed from within the Syslog-ng PE Linux environment.

• With root privileges please run the following command from within the Linux environment which is running the Syslog-ng PE instance

/opt/syslog-ng/sbin/syslog-ng -svf /opt/syslog-ng/etc/syslog-ng.conf

Replace "/opt/syslog-ng/etc/syslog-ng.conf" with the location of the syslog-ng configuration file if not using the default location.

• The -ng service will then run a syntax check against the -ng configuration file to ensure its validity.
  • If nothing is returned from within the terminal once the syslog-ng syntax tool has been run, then the configuration file is valid.
  • If a syntax error is found after running the syslog-ng syntax tool the error will be displayed within the terminal which will state where the syntax error is located.

 

• For knowledge:
  • -s informs the syslog-ng service to perform a syntax verification
  • -v informs the syslog-ng service to perform the syntax verification verbosely
  • -f informs the syslog-ng service to use a specific configuration file which is then specified
  • the -svf syntax within this command combine the above syntaxes to perform the syslog-ng syntax verification of the configuration file verbosely using a configuration file specified.

 This tool is for verifying the syntax validity of the configuration only. This tool does not scan for configuration errors that may not cause syslog-ng to perform as desired, therefore any errors in the configuration that are not syntax errors, will not be found using this tool.