---
name: "syslogd"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "inetutils-syslogd"
version: "2:2.6-3+deb13u3"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/syslogd"
---

# syslogd(8)

log systems messages

## NAME

**syslogd** – log systems messages

## SYNOPSIS

**syslogd** \[*options* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**syslogd** reads and logs messages to the system console, log files, other machines and/or users as specified by its configuration file.

## OPTIONS

- **-4**, **--ipv4**

  Restrict to IPv4 transport (default).

- **-6**, **--ipv6**

  Restrict to IPv6 transport.

- **--ipany**

  Allow transport with IPv4 and IPv6.

- **-a** *socket*

  Specify additional sockets from that syslogd has to listen to. This is needed if you are going to let some daemon run within a chroot()'ed environment. You can specify up to 19 additional sockets.

- **-b**, **--bind** *addr*

  Bind listener to this address/name.

- **-B**, **--bind-port** *port*

  Bind listener to this port.

- **-f**, **--rcfile** *file*

  Specify the pathname of an alternate configuration file; the default is system specific and displayed in the help output.

- **-D**, **--rcdir** *dir*

  Specify the pathname of an alternate configuration directory; the default is system specific and displayed in the help output.

- **-h**, **--hop**

  Enable forwarding remote messages. By default syslogd will not forward messages it receives from remote hosts.

- **-l** *host\_list*

  A colon-seperated lists of hosts which should be considered local; they are logged by their hostnames instead by their FQDN.

- **-s** *domain\_list*

  A colon-seperated list of domainnames which should be stripped from the FQDNs of hosts when logging.

- **-m**, **--mark** *interval*

  Select the number of minutes between "mark" messages; the default is 20 minutes. Setting it to 0 disables timestamps.

- **-p**, **--socket** *path*

  Specify the pathname of an alternate log socket. The default is system specific and displayed in the help output.

- **-r**, **--inet**

  Enable to receive remote messages using an internet domain socket. The default is to not receive any messages from the network. Older version always accepted remote messages.

- **-T**, **--local-time**

  Set local time on received messages.

- **-S**, **--sync**

  Force a file sync on every line.

- **-n**, **--no-detach**

  Suppress backgrounding and detachment of the daemon from its controlling terminal.

- **--no-klog**

  Do not listen to the kernel log device. This is only supported on systems which define a kernel log device, on all others this is already the default, and the option will be silently ignored.

- **--no-unixaf**

  Do not listen to any unix domain socket. This option overrides -p and -a.

- **--no-forward**

  Do not forward any messages. This overrides -h.

- **-d**, **--debug**

  Enter debug mode. syslogd does not put itself in the background, does not fork and shows debug information.

- ?, **--help**

  Display help information and exit.

- **--usage**

  Display a short usage message and exit.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print version number and exit.

**syslogd** reads its configuration file when it starts up and whenever it receives a hangup signal. For information on the format of the configuration file, see [syslog.conf(5)](/syslog.conf/5.md).

**syslogd** reads messages from the UNIX domain socket */dev/log*, from an Internet domain socket specified in */etc/services*, and from the one of the special devices */dev/klog* or */proc/kmsg* depending on the system (to read kernel messages). In a GNU/Linux system it will not parse the System.map and use it to annotate the kernel messages.

**syslogd** creates the file */run/syslog.pid*, and stores its process id there. This can be used to kill or reconfigure **syslogd**.

The message sent to **syslogd** should consist of a single line. The message can contain a priority code, which should be a preceding decimal number in angle braces, for example, ‘⟨5.⟩’ This priority code should map into the priorities defined in the include file ⟨*sys/syslog.h*⟩.

## FILES

- */etc/syslog.conf*

  The configuration file.

- */run/syslog.pid*

  The process id of current **syslogd**.

- */dev/log*

  Name of the UNIX domain datagram log socket.

- */dev/klog,* */proc/kmsg*

  The kernel log device.

## SEE ALSO

[logger(1)](/logger/1.md), [syslog(3)](/syslog/3.md), [services(5)](/services/5.md), [syslog.conf(5)](/syslog.conf/5.md)

## HISTORY

The **syslogd** command appeared in 4.3BSD.