By default, an AIX system will not do syslog logging. For some strange reason, the default install on an AIX install will not place entries in /etc/syslog.conf, leaving a useless syslogd.

In addition, based on the AIX versions listed above, comparing the syslogd on AIX to another UNIX, (ex: Linux), you will notice that .* does not work. So make sure that your priority level is never *.

Based on a similar Linux configuration, here is an example configuration:

mail.debug /var/log/mail
user.debug /var/log/user
kern.debug /var/log/kern
syslog.debug /var/log/syslog
daemon.debug /var/log/daemon
auth.debug /var/log/secure
local2.debug /var/log/sudo

 As AIX standard has no logrotate daemon running, you want to adapt syslogd to do the rotating on its own.  An example would be:

mail.debug   /var/log/mail  rotate size 100k files 4 ….. # 4 files, 100kB each user.debug  

/var/log/user  rotate files 12 time 1m ………………... # 12 files, monthly rotate kern.debug  

/var/log/kern  rotate files 12 time 1m compress ........ # 12 files, monthly rotate, compress ...

When changes are made to /etc/syslog.conf, make sure to restart syslogd:

[root@sys /] refresh -s syslogd

0513-095 The request for subsystem refresh was completed successfully.

[root@sys /]