Log files grow without bound unless managed. Logrotate is the standard Linux tool that automatically rotates, compresses, and deletes old log files. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS includes Logrotate pre-installed. This guide explains how to configure it.

Tested and valid on:

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Prerequisites

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS server
A user with sudo privileges

Step 1 – Verify Logrotate is Installed

Check the version:

logrotate --version

Step 2 – View the Default Configuration

The main config is at /etc/logrotate.conf:

cat /etc/logrotate.conf

Application-specific configs are in /etc/logrotate.d/:

ls /etc/logrotate.d/

Step 3 – Understand Logrotate Directives

Key directives:

daily / weekly / monthly — rotation frequency
rotate N — keep N old log files
compress — gzip old logs
delaycompress — compress on next rotation (useful for running daemons)
missingok — no error if log file is missing
notifempty — skip rotation if file is empty
postrotate / endscript — run a command after rotation

Step 4 – Create a Custom Configuration

Create a config for your application:

sudo nano /etc/logrotate.d/myapp

Add:

/var/log/myapp/*.log {
    daily
    rotate 14
    compress
    delaycompress
    missingok
    notifempty
    create 0640 www-data www-data
    postrotate
        systemctl reload myapp 2>/dev/null || true
    endscript
}

Step 5 – Test the Configuration

Do a dry run to verify without rotating:

sudo logrotate -d /etc/logrotate.d/myapp

Step 6 – Force a Rotation

Manually trigger a rotation for testing:

sudo logrotate -f /etc/logrotate.d/myapp

Step 7 – View Rotation History

Check the Logrotate status file:

sudo cat /var/lib/logrotate/status | grep myapp

Conclusion

Logrotate is configured on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS to manage your application logs automatically. Adjust rotation frequency and retention based on your disk space and compliance requirements.

How to Configure Logrotate on Ubuntu 24.04