 
			| GNU/Linux | Ubuntu 9.04(Jaunty Jackalope) | |
|  | savelog(8) |  | 
savelog − save a log file
savelog [−m mode] [−u user] [−g group] [−t] [−p] [−c cycle] [−l] [−j] [−C] [−d] [−l] [−r rolldir] [−n] [−q] [−D dateformat] file ...
The savelog command saves and optionally compresses old copies of files. Older versions of file are named:
file.<number><compress_suffix>
where <number> is the version number, 0 being the newest. Version numbers > 0 are compressed unless −l prevents it. Version number 0 is not compressed because a process might still have file opened for I/O. Only cycle versions of the file are kept.
If the file does not exist and −t was given, it will be created.
For files that do exist and have lengths greater than zero, the following actions are performed:
| 1) | Version numbered files are cycled. Version cycle−2 is moved to version cycle−3, version cycle−1 is moved to version cycle−2 , and so on. Finally version 0 is moved to version 1, and version cycle is deleted. Both compressed names and uncompressed names are cycled, regardless of −l. Missing version files are ignored. | ||
| 2) | The new file.1 is compressed unless the −l flag was given. It is changed subject to the −m, −u, and −g flags. | ||
| 3) | The main file is moved to file.0. | ||
| 4) | If the −m, −u, −g, −t, or −p flags are given, then an empty file is created subject to the given flags. With the −p flag, the file is created with the same owner, group, and permissions as before. | ||
| 5) | The new file.0 is changed subject to the −m, −u, and −g flags. | 
Since the version numbers start with 0, version number cycle is never formed. The cycle count must be at least 2.
−m mode
chmod the log files to mode, implies −t
−u user
chown log files to user, implies −t
−g group
chgrp log files to group, implies −t
−c cycle
Save cycle versions of the logfile (default: 7)
| −t | touch new logfile into existence | ||
| −l | don’t compress any log files (default: do compress) | ||
| −p | preserve owner, group, and permissions of logfile | ||
| −j | compress with bzip2 instead of gzip | ||
| −C | force cleanup of cycled logfiles | ||
| −d | use standard date for rolling | 
−D dateformat
override date format, in the form of [MMDDhhmm[[CC]YY][.ss]]
| −r | use rolldir instead of . to roll files | |||
| −n | do not rotate empty files | |||
| −q | be quiet | 
If a process is still writing to file.0, and savelog moves it to file.1 and compresses it, data could be lost.
|  | savelog(8) |  |