Can we delete /var/log/messages-2015* files

Linux and Unix-Like Linux
1

Hi Team,

My linux version is Linux 2.6.32-71.el6.x86_64 #1 SMP Wed Sep 1 01:33:01 EDT 2010 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Now /var mount point is full, and I don't know what files to delete from this file system.

When I checked /var/log there are lot of log files starting with name messages-2015*. Could you please advice whether it is safe to delete these files and do we require any downtime for this.

Thanks,

2

I guess yes, but better check them with fuser that no process is using them

fuser messages-2015*
3

It depends if you need the detail being logged.

Have a look at /etc/logrotate.d/syslog and see if you could perhaps compress them or dispose of older ones automatically.

Robin

4

You can delete it from a technical standpoint, since it is a rotated log and not being used currently (check that as per suggestion, but rotation tends to restart [r]syslog after it is done).

Question is if you should.

This is determined by your company policy what to do with rotated logs.

Does your company or some kind of regulation exists which will require you to keep the old messages ?