On Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:41:26 -0700, Craig White wrote:
On Mon, 2008-10-27 at 14:32 +0000, Beartooth wrote:
> Is there some way to find out what makes that message file so big
> -- i.e., why the machine was losing its mind? I can't hope to read 54
> gigs in my lifetime ...
----
less /var/log/messages
press '>' to get to end of messages
use 'w' or 'Page Up' to page up
press 'Control-C' to stop line number calculations (pointless in 54G
file)
read from the bottom, it should be obvious what the problem is
I may have messed up. When suddenly startx failed even for root,
I tried "> /var/log/messages" (I think it was) and now the command to
look for the space-grabber returns nothing near so large. But then
everything else I tried kept hitting the out of range display. So I
finally hit the reset button.
After rebooting that way, it now logs me straight in, GUI and all
-- but not, I think, with optimal display.
All I recall from the bloated stuff was lots of differing and
interspersed lines about USB devices, and one of them not doing fax. (I
never use fax.)
Is there a good way to keep an eye on /var/log/messages today,
and catch it in time if it happens again?
--
Beartooth Staffwright, PhD, Neo-Redneck Linux Convert
Remember I know precious little of what I am talking about.