Some process adding to /private/var/log

[Mork]

I have some process on the Mac adding tons of files to my /private/var/log folder. These files have an extension of ".asl", which coincidentally is the same as the Adobe Style files.

Is there anyway to figure out what process/program is causing these files to be logged?

Looking at the internals of these files isn't very revealing.

In one day, for example, 20GB of log files got added.

Other days, very few.

Confusing.

Thanks in advance.

- m

 

[Bear]

Did you try using a web search engine to see if any of the filenames in question come up in a search? Also if you had done a search using "file extension asl" You would get links that show there to be several applications that generate .asl files.

 

[Mork]

Did you try using a web search engine to see if any of the filenames in question come up in a search? Also if you had done a search using "file extension asl" You would get links that show there to be several applications that generate .asl files.

Yup did that. That search didn't help. Hence, I posted here. 🙂

Thanks Bear.

 

[Intell]

Could you post the names of some of those .asl files?

 

[sidewinder]

Didn't search very hard. I found this in .2 seconds:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/641936/

S-

 

[Mork]

Didn't search very hard. I found this in .2 seconds:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/641936/

S-

Perhaps I should have listed all the steps I went through before posting?

Yes, I found that too in about .15 seconds. It just didn't have the information I needed. 😉

The next time I get a 20 GB .asl dump, I'll do additional investigation. Things seem quiet at the moment.

Thanks for your posting.

- m

 

[plinden]

Didn't search very hard. I found this in .2 seconds:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/641936/

S-

Read my post in that thread - https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7026511/ - to see what process is creating the logs. Although the correct command is

syslog -f <filename>.log

It's safe to delete the logs but that won't tell you what's writing to them and won't fix the problem.

 

[Mork]

Read my post in that thread - https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7026511/ - to see what process is creating the logs. Although the correct command is

syslog -f <filename>.log

It's safe to delete the logs but that won't tell you what's writing to them and won't fix the problem.

Yes, I've already been doing this as well as part of digging into what's going on.

Thanks.

 

[sidewinder]

It just didn't have the information I needed. 😉

Sure it does.....

S-

 

[Bear]

Could you post the names of some of those .asl files?

I see that Mork still hasn't posted the actual file names.

Perhaps I should have listed all the steps I went through before posting?
...

Probably as it would've cut down on suggestions of things you've already tried.

 

[larkost]

The contents of /private/var/log/asl/ are what the Apple's version of the syslog daemon uses to actually work. The text logs are mearly a byproduct, and the asl contents are the magic behind the curtain: a full database of the logging messages sent in your computer.

I use this all the time to pull out specific time segments or debug levels of these messages. Yes, my job is a little weird in this regard, but it is a really wonderfull system. Peter Hosey has done some nice work covering the system in some detail:

http://boredzo.org/blog/archives/2008-01-20/asl-logging