# provides TCP syslog reception
$ModLoad imtcp
$InputTCPServerRun 514

$template HostBasedLog,”/var/log/%HOSTNAME%.log”
if $fromhost-ip isequal ‘192.168.22.1′ then -?HostBasedLog
& ~
if $fromhost-ip isequal ‘192.168.22.2′ then -?HostBasedLog
& ~

Causes syntax errors on those two lines “syntax error in expression”

the last error occured in /etc/rsyslog.conf, line 26:”if $fromhost-ip isequal ‘192.168.22.2′ then -?HostBasedLog”

http://rsyslog.com/doc/rsyslog_conf_templates.html

This describes the format. I think we can just put them in the main config file, but again, no simple instructions exist.

For example, there is no explanation of the standard debug template output.

I just want to see facility and level displayed on each line. I found the syntax from a ~version 1.7 document, but maybe it will not work.

I think the software is very good, but the documentation is full but unstructured perhaps.
I know it is hard to find time for such cleanup. danke!

“But getting into the detail of all of that is beyond the scope of this cookbook-style book.”

Very funny! Perhaps you have read a cookbook where you need some spices or ingredients, but the author just assumes that everyone knows what is “frimminjamzen” and tells you you need 100g, but you don’t know what this is. A little google and you know that it is anchovies. This situation is not so bad… it is just a translation.

Now imagine that the same author tells you to “arnzarnz” the potatoes and leeks, but only his family uses this word. Now google becomes less useful. maybe you will be lucky and another family uses it, enough that a search engine can help you eventually discover that it means to dice the mixture into 1cm cubes.
The situation is worse, but not hopeless.

Finally, imagine that a software author tells us how to apply a special to a system logger. The author does not tell us how to make the special format template, or where to put it so that the software will find it. He simply tells us we can use one and give it whatever name we like…

It is like the spanish recipes for a love potion… one needs a unicorn horn and a tooth from a chimera, although everything else is easy to find. The recipes NEVER explain where one can FIND a unicorn (yes, yes, we know that you must have a virgin, but then what?) let alone find the “unicorn horn” or where one can find the tooth of a chimera.

In our case, we are missing “see this document or url for more info” or “the filepath to the templates is xxx/xxxx” or “here is an example

There is nothing here explaining:

- where is the default template specified?

- where can one find the format for the template?

After ~15 years, linux docs are still being written assuming that one already understands everything but just needs some notes.

Nothing like 3 days of google and being unable to precisely identify which facility and log-level a message came from, or worse yet, unable to find simple building block examples of “This conf file rule results in the following output lines/actions/etc”. I only find snippets of rules all glommed into one to provide grammar examples… but with no “do this–>get this” examples of output for it.

I suppose I should write something up, since I’m treading that long stone-covered road myself.

I have a question and could not find it in docu.
What does the “-” sign mean before the file name?
For example:
-/var/log/maillog

Thx for help.