About Logger Command

List of Topics

1) What is Logger
2) Examples of Logger with options
3) Where it can be used

1) What is Logger

logger - a shell command interface to the syslog system log module. In simple logger command can be used to add a message to /var/log/messages(by default)  and configurable to other files also. Below are some of the options of logger with example

Logger will exit with 0 on success, and greater than 0 in case of any errors.

2) Examples of Logger with options

Without any option logger will print the message in "messages" file like below.

# logger "hi test"

Output entry in messages : Mar 21 05:32:08 lapp02 bhr_moham607: hi test

a) - i  = Print the process id of the “logger” process.

Eg) for Option -i

# logger -i "test: print pid"

Output entry in messages : Mar 21 06:00:17 lapp02 bhr_moham607[2199]: test: print pid

In the above output 2199 is the PID of the logger.

b) -t tag   = Add the tag will printing the message in the logger.

Eg) for Option -t

# logger -t "TAG test" -i "test message"

Output entry in messages : Mar 21 05:55:48 lapp02 TAG test[1957]: test message

3) Where it can be used

Logger will be mainly useful while automating the task in background and also also while working with shell script.