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.TH BOOTLOGD 8 "Jul 21, 2003" "sysvinit " "Linux System Administrator's Manual"
.SH NAME
bootlogd \- record boot messages
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B /sbin/bootlogd
.RB [ \-c ]
.RB [ \-d ]
.RB [ \-e ]
.RB [ \-r ]
.RB [ \-s ]
.RB [ \-v ]
.RI [ " \fB-l\fP logfile " ]
.RI [ " \fB-p\fP pidfile " ]
.SH DESCRIPTION
\fBbootlogd\fP runs in the background and copies all strings sent to the
\fI/dev/console\fP device to a logfile. If the \fIlogfile\fP is not accessible,
the messages will be kept in memory until it is.
.SH OPTIONS
.IP \fB\-d\fP
Do not fork and run in the background.
.IP \fB\-e\fP
Print escape characters to the boot log file. This turns off filtering of
escape characters and allows tools like GNU \fBless\fP(1) to see and use
colour control characters (show the log in colour).
.IP \fB\-c\fP
Attempt to write to the logfile even if it does not yet exist.
Without this option, \fBbootlogd\fP will wait for the logfile to appear before
attempting to write to it. This behavior prevents \fBbootlogd\fP from creating
logfiles under mount points.
.IP \fB\-r\fP
If there is an existing logfile called \fIlogfile\fP rename it to
\fIlogfile~\fP unless \fIlogfile~\fP already exists.
.IP \fB\-s\fP
Ensure that the data is written to the file after each line by calling
.BR fdatasync (3).
This will slow down a
.BR fsck (8)
process running in parallel.
.IP \fB\-v\fP
Show version.
.IP "\fB\-l\fP \fIlogfile\fP"
Log to this logfile. The default is \fI/var/log/boot\fP.
.IP "\fB\-p\fP \fIpidfile\fP"
Put process-id in this file. The default is no pidfile.
.SH NOTES
\fBbootlogd\fP saves log data which includes control characters. The log is
technically a text file, but not very easy for humans to read. To address
this the \fBreadbootlog\fP(1) command can be used to display the boot log
without the control characters.
.SH BUGS
\fBbootlogd\fP works by redirecting the console output from the console device.
(Consequently \fBbootlogd\fP requires PTY support in the kernel configuration.)
It copies that output to the real console device and to a log file.
There is no standard way of ascertaining the real console device
if you have a new-style \fI/dev/console\fP device (major 5, minor 1)
so \fBbootlogd\fP parses the kernel command line looking for
\fBconsole=...\fP lines and deduces the real console device from that.
If that syntax is ever changed by the kernel, or a console type is used that
\fBbootlogd\fP does not know about then \fBbootlogd\fP will not work.

.SH AUTHOR
.MT miquels@\:cistron\:.nl
Miquel van Smoorenburg
.ME
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.BR dmesg (8),
.BR fdatasync (3),
.BR readbootlog (1)