Logrotate.conf file?

[palmpal]

I currently use Faststats analyzer software for my website. Recently I've noticed that the date range analyzed is changing. The information from September and October is no longer being reported on. I spoke with my host and we looked at my logrotate.conf file and found that my logs are being zipped once they reach 1 meg in size. There are five zipped files that are being used that recycle.
My question: I really need to see the traffic to my site during those beginning months. I expect my customers to visit my site on a monthly basis. I can't track things if the logs only span a couple months at a time.

Should I be doing something with the log data? Export it to a database before it gets zipped up?

Also, where can I find more info about the logrotate file and how to modify it? It looks like I can "comment" out the compress command but I believe the files would still rotate after 1 meg. I there any way to read the *.gz files (zipped?)

Hope I'm making sense to someone.

Thanks!

[andreasfriedrich]

You can gunzip gzipped files using gunzip ;)

man logrotate explains about the format of the configuration file used by logrotate. You could increase the file size that triggers rotating or you could increase the number of files that are rotated.

Andreas

[palmpal]

Thanks for responding. Where do I get gunzip?

[incywincy]

hi palmpal,

gunzip is a standard unix command, just type:

gunzip <filename>.gz

if you want to unzip such a file on a windows box winrar or something similar should do the trick.

[andreasfriedrich]

You already asked that in this thread:

[webmasterworld.com...]

Is that a forum software glitch?

Andreas

[palmpal]

No software glitch, I tried posting the question in a different forum when I didn't get a response and that question was "moved" to the correct forum - thus 2 entries.

Thanks for the link to the Faststats forum. It looks like Faststats may unzip the files before beginning the analysis.

I understand that I can change the variables in this file through file manager but can I envoke the Man command also? The server is operated by my host.

I guess what I'm looking for is what "most people do" to manage their logs on a routine basis.

Thanks!

[palmpal]

So far I found out from my web host that:

"What people typically do with the logs--the people that track their hits/usage thoroughly--is they download them to their own computers via FTP on a regular basis. They then will break down the raw logs on their PC in some sort of tracking software."

OK - so this is the step that I'm obviously missing - that I need to download the logs to my computer. Anyone care to comment on any particulars as to what I need to do next?

I appreciate any help. I believe this is the correct forum for me to post these questions.

Thanks!