--- name: "loggen" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "syslog-ng" version: "4.12.0-3" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/loggen" --- # loggen(1) ## NAME loggen --- Generate syslog messages at a specified rate ## SYNOPSIS loggen \[options\] target \[port\] ## DESCRIPTION **NOTE:** The loggen application is distributed with the syslog-ng OSE system logging application, and is usually part of the syslog-ng OSE package. The latest version of the syslog-ng OSE application is available at the syslog-ng OSE page. This manual page is only an abstract. The loggen application is a tool to test and stress-test your syslog server and the connection to the server. It can send syslog messages to the server at a specified rate using a number of connection types and protocols, including TCP, UDP, and unix domain sockets. The messages can be generated automatically (repeating the PADDstring over and over), or read from a file or the standard input. When loggen finishes sending the messages, it displays the following statistics: - • average rate: The average rate of the sent messages in messages/second. - • count: The total number of messages sent. - • time: The time required to send the messages in seconds. - • average message size: The average size of the sent messages in bytes. - • bandwidth: The average bandwidth used for sending the messages in kilobytes/second. ## OPTIONS `--active-connections `\ Number of connections loggen will use to send messages to the\ destination. This option is usable only when using TCP or TLS\ connections to the destination. Default value: 1\ The loggen utility waits until every connection is established\ before starting to send messages. See also the `--idle-connections`\ option. `--csv` or `-C`\ Send the statistics of the sent messages to stdout as CSV. This can\ be used for plotting the message rate. `--dgram` or `-D`\ Use datagram socket (UDP or unix-dgram) to send the messages to the\ target. Requires the --inet option as well. `--dont-parse` or `-d`\ Do not parse the lines read from the input files, send them as\ received. `--help` or `-h`\ Display a brief help message. `--idle-connection `\ Number of idle connections loggen will establish to the destination.\ Note that loggen will not send any messages on idle connections, but\ the connection is kept open using keep-alive messages. This option\ is usable only when using TCP or TLS connections to the destination.\ See also the --active-connections option. Default value: 0 `--inet` or `-i`\ Use the TCP (by default) or UDP (when used together with the\ \--dgram option) protocol to send the messages to the target. `--interval ` or `-I `\ The number of seconds loggen will run. Default value: 10 ``` NOTE: When `--interval` and `--number` are used together, loggen will send messages until the period set in `--interval` expires or the amount of messages set in `--number` is reached, whichever happens first. ``` `--ipv6` or `-6`\ Specify the destination using its IPv6 address. Note that the\ destination must have a real IPv6 address. `--loop-reading` or `-l`\ Read the file specified in `--read-file` option in loop: loggen will\ start reading from the beginning of the file when it reaches the end\ of the file. `--number ` or `-n `\ Number of messages to generate. ``` NOTE: When `--interval` and `--number` are used together, loggen will send messages until the period set in `--interval` expires or the amount of messages set in `--number` is reached, whichever happens first. ``` `--no-framing` or `-F`\ Do not use the framing of the IETF-syslog protocol style, even if\ the `--syslog-proto` option is set. `--quiet` or `-Q`\ Display statistics only when loggen is finished. If not set, the\ statistics are displayed every second. `--permanent` or `-T`\ Keep sending logs indefinitely, without time limit. `--rate ` or `-r `\ The number of messages generated per second for every active\ connection. Default value: 1000 ``` If you want to change the message rate while loggen is running, send SIGUSR1 to double the message rate, or SIGUSR2 to halve it: kill `-USR1 kill` `-USR2 ` ``` `--read-file ` or `-R `\ Read the messages from a file and send them to the target. See also\ the `--skip-tokens` option.\ Specify - as the input file to read messages from the standard input\ (stdio). Note that when reading messages from the standard input,\ loggen can only use a single thread. The -R -parameters must be\ placed at end of command, like: loggen 127.0.0.1 1061 `--read-file` - `--sdata ` or `-p `\ Send the argument of the `--sdata` option as the `SDATA` part of\ IETF-syslog (RFC-5424 formatted) messages. Use it together with the\ `--syslog-proto` option. ```` For example: ```config --sdata "[test name=\"value\"] ``` ```` `--size ` or `-s `\ The size of a syslog message in bytes. Default value: 256. Minimum\ value: 127 bytes, maximum value: 8192 bytes. `--skip-tokens `\ Skip the specified number of space-separated tokens (words) at the\ beginning of every line. For example, if the messages in the file\ look like foo bar message, --skip-tokens 2 skips the foo bar part\ of the line, and sends only the message part. Works only when used\ together with the --read-file parameter. Default value: 0 `--stream` or `-S`\ Use a stream socket (TCP or unix-stream) to send the messages to the\ target. `--syslog-proto` or `-P`\ Use the new IETF-syslog message format. By\ default, loggen uses the legacy BSD-syslog message format.\ See also the --no-framing option. `--unix ` or `-x `\ Use a UNIX domain socket to send the messages to the target. `--use-ssl` or `-U`\ Use an SSL-encrypted channel to send the messages to the target.\ Note that it is not possible to check the certificate of the target,\ or to perform mutual authentication. `--version` or `-V`\ Display version number of syslog-ng. ### EXAMPLES: The following command generates 100 messages per second for ten minutes, and sends them to port 2010 of the localhost via TCP. Each message is 300 bytes long. ``` loggen --size 300 --rate 100 --interval 600 127.0.0.1 2010 ``` The following command is similar to the one above, but uses the UDP protocol. ``` loggen --inet --dgram --size 300 --rate 100 --interval 600 127.0.0.1 2010 ``` Send a single message on TCP6 to the ::1 IPv6 address, port 1061: ``` loggen --ipv6 --number 1 ::1 1061 ``` Send a single message on UDP6 to the ::1 IPv6 address, port 1061: ``` loggen --ipv6 --dgram --number 1 ::1 1061 ``` Send a single message using a unix domain-socket: ``` loggen --unix --stream --number 1 ``` Read messages from the standard input (stdio) and send them to the localhost: ``` loggen 127.0.0.1 1061 --read-file - ``` ## FILES /Users/hofi/Develop/Balabit/syslog-ng/build/install/bin/loggen **NOTE:** If you experience any problems or need help with syslog-ng OSE, see the *syslog-ng OSE Administration Guide*\[1\], or visit the *syslog-ng OSE mailing list*\[2\]. For news and notifications about syslog-ng OSE, visit the *syslog-ng OSE blogs*\[3\]. ## AUTHOR This manual page was generated from the *syslog-ng OSE Administration Guide*\[1\], which was written by several contributors to whom we'd like to extend our sincere thanks. ## COPYRIGHT ## NOTES \[1\] `syslog-ng OSE Administration Guide`\ ⟨https://syslog-ng.github.io/admin-guide/README⟩ \[2\] `syslog-ng OSE mailing list`\ ⟨https://lists.balabit.hu/mailman/listinfo/syslog-ng⟩ \[3\] `syslog-ng OSE blogs`\ ⟨https://syslog-ng.com/blog/⟩