Help with Apache access and error logs

Thanks Camelot! This is starting to make sense to me now. However when I came in and checked my logs this morning I found the same thing had happened. The access log had been archive on Saturday. However, in the httpd folder, there where again only two logs; the active log and the archive. The archive was named access_log.0.gz and was created on Saturday. Before I left on Friday, there were two logs as well, except the access_log.0.gz was made on April 2 (last Saturday). Today, THAT log seems to have been over-written by the new archive. It doesn't seem like the server is rotating )or at least keeping) my logs properly. Unless, of course, I should be looking somewhere else for these "rotated" logs. They are not in the httpd folder. Here's the cron script, maybe someone can find out what is happening to the older archived logs. Or, maybe show me how to set the cron up to only archive once a month. Thanks for your help! This is great!

#!/bin/sh -
#
# @(#)weekly 8.2 (Berkeley) 1/2/94
#

PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/libexec
export PATH

host=`hostname -s`

if [ -x /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb ]; then
echo ""
echo "Rebuilding locate database:"
locdb=/var/db/locate.database
touch "${locdb}"; chown nobody "${locdb}"; chmod 644 "${locdb}"
echo /usr/libexec/locate.updatedb | nice -5 su -fm nobody 2>&1 | sed -e '/Permission denied/d'
chmod 444 "${locdb}"
fi

if [ -x /usr/libexec/makewhatis.local ]; then
echo ""
echo "Rebuilding whatis database:"
if [ -d /usr/X11R6/man ]; then
MANPATH=${MANPATH:-/usr/share/man:/usr/X11R6/man:/usr/local/man}
else
MANPATH=${MANPATH:-/usr/share/man:/usr/local/man}
fi

makewhatis.local "${MANPATH}"
fi

echo ""
echo -n "Rotating log files:"
cd /var/log
for i in ftp.log lookupd.log lpr.log mail.log netinfo.log hwmond.log ipfw.log; do
if [ -f "${i}" ]; then
echo -n " $i"
if [ -x /usr/bin/gzip ]; then gzext=".gz"; else gzext=""; fi
if [ -f "${i}.3${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.3${gzext}" "${i}.4${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}.2${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.2${gzext}" "${i}.3${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}.1${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.1${gzext}" "${i}.2${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}.0${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.0${gzext}" "${i}.1${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}" ]; then mv -f "${i}" "${i}.0" && if [ -x /usr/bin/gzip ]; then gzip -9 "${i}.0"; fi; fi
touch "${i}" && chmod 640 "${i}" && chown root:admin "${i}"
fi
done
if [ -f /var/run/syslog.pid ]; then kill -HUP $(cat /var/run/syslog.pid | head -1); fi
echo ""

cd /var/log/httpd
for i in access_log error_log; do
if [ -f "${i}" ]; then
echo -n " $i"
if [ -x /usr/bin/gzip ]; then gzext=".gz"; else gzext=""; fi
if [ -f "${i}.3${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.3${gzext}" "${i}.4${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}.2${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.2${gzext}" "${i}.3${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}.1${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.1${gzext}" "${i}.2${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}.0${gzext}" ]; then mv -f "${i}.0${gzext}" "${i}.1${gzext}"; fi
if [ -f "${i}" ]; then mv -f "${i}" "${i}.0" && if [ -x /usr/bin/gzip ]; then gzip -9 "${i}.0"; fi; fi
touch "${i}" && chmod 640 "${i}" && chown root:admin "${i}"
fi
done
if [ -f /var/run/httpd.pid ]; then /usr/sbin/apachectl restart; fi
echo ""

if [ -f /etc/weekly.local ]; then
echo ""
echo "Running weekly.local:"
sh /etc/weekly.local
fi

Hi Landis,
I am the original poster with the same problem you have. I also posted this discussion in another area and got a little more response. However, as you have already found out, dealing with OSX's Apache server and the Cron daemon require a bit of UNIX chops. These I do not have either. But some good people here have helped shed light on the subject. Here's what I'm going to do:

The script (file) that's cuasing the "trouble" is the weekly.500 cron instruction. It is located here /etc/periodic/week. Now, as you may be aware, there are hidden folders on your hard drive containing UNIX code. These are accessed by your Mac at various times. Your Mac has another name, it's root. Only root has the ability to change the documents inside these hidden folders. This is what we need to do in order to fix the error. We need to modify the weekly.500 file and in my case, the monthly.500 file. See, I would rather the system archive log files monthy. Weekly is too fast for me, too much housekeeping. So, basically, we need to "comment out" some of the instructions in the weekly.500 file (so the system will ignore it) and then move that same bit of code to the monthly.500 file. Now the system will perform the archive once a month. Sounds a little scary but it's not that hard, I'll walk you through it if you need. You will need to do the following first:

1. get a UNIX text editor program, TextEdit or Word won't work. I use BBEdit Lite for Mac OSX you can get it here for free:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/604

2. next, you need to enable the root user for your computer. This will allow you to "become" the root for a moment in order to make the changes. This is tricky as well. I'm sure there's a quick way in the terminal to do this, but here's how I do it:

a. find a program named "NetInfo Manager" in your Utilites folder inside your Applications folder, Open this program.

b. Under "Security" in th menu bar, select "Authenticate" and enter your admin password.

c. Under the same menu selection, select "Enable Root User", you will then be prompted to enter a new password for the root. Conventional wisdom says don't use the same one as you admin account but it will still work if you do. Just don't forget it. Write it on a sticky and place it under your mac.

d. close NetInfo, then open your System Prefs, go to System: Accounts

e. select the "login Options" button in the lower left corner, Set "Display Login Window as LIST OF USERS, then make sure fast user switching is enabled.

f. close system prefs and log out, at the login window, you'll have fields for a user name and password. Your user name will be "root" and whatever password you choose earlier. You will now be logged in as root.

From there, we will simply replace two files after making backup copies of the origianl. Then log back out and into your user account. After disabling the root user and restarting our web server it will be all over.

Read this over, maybe somewho knows an easier way. If you game to try it, I write back more specifically on how to edit the files we need to change.

Common! Screw up your computer it's fun, just joking. But be careful, while logged in as root you certanly can screw things up if your not careful!

Sure Landis, I'm not sure if this will work, but here's a link to the other discussion which had more responce. Pay atention to Roger's comments. You'll find about half way down the info you need plus some comments I've made regarding the exact script lines as well. Hope this helps!

http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?128@@.68abaa79

As far as why the logs are not being rotated properly, in other words, why don't I have 5 log files in the folder instead of just two, i dunno. But I bet theirs a permissions error somewhere mucking things up. Go figure.