Linelog Module

The linelog module will log entries from attributes, string expansions, or static strings, and writes them to a variety of backends, including syslog, flat files, and raw UDP/TCP sockets.

Multiple linelog’s modules may be used for any given request. The logtee modules will not affect normal logging output. i.e. This logging is in addition to any other logging that is done by the server.

Configuration Settings

delimiter: Custom line delimiters.

Defaults to \n (newline) but may be any UTF8 multi-character string.

format: The default format string. May be an attribute reference.

e.g. &User-Name, or xlat, literal or exec.

The reference configuration item can be omitted. If it is omitted, then the log message is static, and is always given by format, above.

If reference is defined, then the value is dynamically expanded, and the result is used to find another configuration entry here, with the given name. That name is then used as the format string.

If the configuration entry cannot be found, then no log message is printed.

i.e: You can have many log messages in one linelog module. If this two-step expansion did not exist, you would have needed to configure one linelog module for each log message.

reference: Reference the Packet-Type (Access-Request, etc.) If reference is commented out, the format entry above is used instead.

May be an attribute reference, e.g. &User-Name, or xlat, literal or exec.

messages { … }: The messages defined here are chosen from the reference expansion, above.

Pairs may be attributes attribute reference &User-Name , xlat, literal or exec.

header: Optional header line format for file output

If the destination is "file" and header is set, then this is expanded and output as the first line when a new file is created.

destination: What should be done with log messages.

May be one of:

Option	Description
file	Write to a file.
request	Write to the logging destination of the current request
stdout	Write to stdout
stderr	Write to stderr
syslog	Send via the system’s syslog() function.
tcp	Write to a TCP socket.
udp	Write to a UDP socket.
unix	Write to a UNIX socket.

Option

Description

file

Write to a file.

request

Write to the logging destination of the current request

stdout

Write to stdout

stderr

Write to stderr

syslog

Send via the system’s syslog() function.

tcp

Write to a TCP socket.

udp

Write to a UDP socket.

unix

Write to a UNIX socket.

The stdout and stderr destinations are likely to work only when the server is running in debug mode. When the server is running in background mode, both stdout and stderr are usually redirected to /dev/null.

File as the destination for log messages.

filename: The file where the logs will go.

We STRONGLY suggest that you do not use data from the packet as part of the filename. This data is untrusted, and may play games with your file system! If it is necessary you must set escape_filenames = yes in order to prevent security issues.

permissions: The Unix-style permissions on the log file.

Depending on format string, the log file may contain secret or private information about users. Keep the file permissions as restrictive as possible.

group: The Unix group which owns the log file.

The user that freeradius runs as must be in the specified group, otherwise it will not be possible to set the group.

escape_filenames: Most file systems can handle nearly the full range of UTF-8 characters. Ones that can only deal with a limited range should set this to yes.
fsync: Synchronise data written with the file system after every write, returning fail when the operation fails.

The connection pool for TCP and Unix socket connections.

start: Connections to create during module instantiation.

If the server cannot create specified number of connections during instantiation it will exit. Set to 0 to allow the server to start without the external service being available.

min: Minimum number of connections to keep open.
max: Maximum number of connections.

If these connections are all in use and a new one is requested, the request will NOT get a connection.

Setting max to LESS than the number of threads means that some threads may starve, and you will see errors like No connections available and at max connection limit.

Setting max to MORE than the number of threads means that there are more connections than necessary.

If max is not specified, then it defaults to the number of workers configured.

spare: Spare connections to be left idle.

Idle connections WILL be closed if idle_timeout is set. This should be less than or equal to max above.

uses: Number of uses before the connection is closed.

0 means "infinite"

retry_delay: The number of seconds to wait after the server tries to open a connection, and fails. During this time, no new connections will be opened.
lifetime: The lifetime (in seconds) of the connection.
idle_timeout: A connection which is unused for this length of time will be closed.

Default 60 seconds.

All configuration settings are enforced. If a connection is closed because of idle_timeout, uses, or lifetime, then the total number of connections MAY fall below min. When that happens, it will open a new connection. It will also log a WARNING message.

The solution is to either lower the min connections, or increase lifetime/idle_timeout.

UNIX socket-file as destination

filename: Full path to the unix socket file.
pool: The pool { … } of connections.

TCP-server as a destination

server: Server to connect to.
port: Port to connect to.
timeout: Connect and write timeout (in seconds).
pool: The pool { … } of connections.

UDP-server as a destination

server: Server to connect to.
port: Port to connect to.
timeout: Connect and write timeout (in seconds).
pool: The pool { … } of connections.

Syslog-server as a destination

facility: Syslog facility (if logging via syslog).

Defaults to the syslog_facility config item in radiusd.conf.

Standard facilities are:

Option	Description
kern	Messages generated by the kernel. These cannot be generated by any user processes.
user	Messages generated by random user processes. This is the default facility identifier if none is specified.
mail	The mail system.
daemon	System daemons, such as routed(8), that are not provided for explicitly by other facilities.
auth	The authorization system: login(1), su(1), getty(8), etc.
lpr	The line printer spooling system: cups-lpd(8), cupsd(8), etc.
news	The network news system.
uucp	The uucp system.
cron	The cron daemon: cron(8).
authpriv	The same as LOG_AUTH, but logged to a file readable only by selected individuals.
ftp	The file transfer protocol daemons: ftpd(8), tftpd(8).
local[0-7]	Reserved for local use.

Option

Description

kern

Messages generated by the kernel. These cannot be generated by any user processes.

user

Messages generated by random user processes. This is the default facility identifier if none is specified.

mail

The mail system.

daemon

System daemons, such as routed(8), that are not provided for explicitly by other facilities.

auth

The authorization system: login(1), su(1), getty(8), etc.

lpr

The line printer spooling system: cups-lpd(8), cupsd(8), etc.

news

The network news system.

uucp

The uucp system.

cron

The cron daemon: cron(8).

authpriv

The same as LOG_AUTH, but logged to a file readable only by selected individuals.

ftp

The file transfer protocol daemons: ftpd(8), tftpd(8).

local[0-7]

Reserved for local use.

Default is daemon.

severity: Syslog severity (if logging via syslog).

Possible values are:

Option	Description
emergency	A panic condition. This is normally broadcast to all users.
alert	A condition that should be corrected immediately, such as a corrupted system database.
critical	Critical conditions, e.g., hard device errors.
error	Errors.
warning	Warning messages.
notice	Conditions that are not error conditions, but should possibly be handled specially.
info	Informational messages.
debug	Messages that contain information normally of use only when debugging a program.

Option

Description

emergency

A panic condition. This is normally broadcast to all users.

alert

A condition that should be corrected immediately, such as a corrupted system database.

critical

Critical conditions, e.g., hard device errors.

error

Errors.

warning

Warning messages.

notice

Conditions that are not error conditions, but should possibly be handled specially.

info

Informational messages.

debug

Messages that contain information normally of use only when debugging a program.

Defaults is info.

Sample

Another example, for accounting packets.

Please see the linelog module for common configuration explanation.

Example for Accounting-Request.

Don’t log anything for these packets.

Don’t log anything for other Acct-Status-Type 's.

Authentication success / failure logging

A set of sample module instances which can replace the previous builtin auth log messages

The destination settings here pick up from the main radiusd.conf values, but can be amended if these logs need to be sent to a different destination.

Default Configuration

linelog {
#	delimiter = "\n"
	format = "This is a log message for %{User-Name}"
	reference = "messages.%{&reply.Packet-Type || 'default'}"
	messages {
		default = "Unknown packet type %{Packet-Type}"
		Access-Accept = "Sent accept: %{User-Name}"
		Access-Reject = "Sent reject: %{User-Name}"
		Access-Challenge = "Sent challenge: %{User-Name}"
	}
#	header = ""
	destination = file
	file {
		filename = ${logdir}/linelog
		permissions = 0600
#		group = ${security.group}
		escape_filenames = no
		fsync = no
	}
	pool {
		start = 0
		min = 0
#		max =
		spare = 1
		uses = 0
		retry_delay = 30
		lifetime = 0
		idle_timeout = 60
	}
#	unix {
#		filename = /path/to/unix.socket
#		pool = ${..pool}
#	}
	tcp {
		server = "localhost"
		port = 514
		timeout = 2.0
#		pool = ${..pool}
	}
	udp {
		server = "localhost"
		port = 514
		timeout = 2.0
		pool = ${..pool}
	}
	syslog {
#		facility = daemon
#		severity = info
	}
}
linelog log_accounting {
	destination = file
	format = ""
	file {
		filename = ${logdir}/linelog-accounting
		permissions = 0600
	}
	reference = "Accounting-Request.%{&Acct-Status-Type || 'unknown'}"
	Accounting-Request {
		Start = "Connect: [%{User-Name}] (did %{Called-Station-Id} cli %{Calling-Station-Id} port %{NAS-Port} ip %{Framed-IP-Address})"
		Stop = "Disconnect: [%{User-Name}] (did %{Called-Station-Id} cli %{Calling-Station-Id} port %{NAS-Port} ip %{Framed-IP-Address}) %{Acct-Session-Time} seconds"
		Interim-Update = ""
		Accounting-On = "NAS %{Net.Src.IP} (%{&NAS-IP-Address || &NAS-IPv6-Address}) just came online"
		Accounting-Off = "NAS %{Net.Src.IP} (%{&NAS-IP-Address || &NAS-IPv6-Address}) just went offline"
		unknown = "NAS %{Net.Src.IP} (%{&NAS-IP-Address || &NAS-IPv6-Address}) sent unknown Acct-Status-Type %{Acct-Status-Type}"
	}
}
linelog log_auth_access_accept {
	destination = ${log.destination}
	file {
		filename = ${log.file}
	}
	syslog {
		facility = ${log.syslog_facility}
		severity = notice
	}
	format = "Login OK: [%{User-Name}] (from %client(shortname) port %{NAS-Port} cli %{Calling-Station-Id})"
}
linelog log_auth_access_reject {
	destination = ${log.destination}
	file {
		filename = ${log.file}
	}
	syslog {
		facility = ${log.syslog_facility}
		severity = notice
	}
	format = "Login incorrect (%{Module-Failure-Message}): [%{User-Name}] (from %client(shortname) port %{NAS-Port} cli %{Calling-Station-Id})"
}
linelog log_auth_authentication_pass {
	destination = ${log.destination}
	file {
		filename = ${log.file}
	}
	syslog {
		facility = ${log.syslog_facility}
		severity = notice
	}
	format = "Login OK: [%{User-Name}] (from client %client(shortname))"
}
linelog log_auth_authentication_fail {
	destination = ${log.destination}
	file {
		filename = ${log.file}
	}
	syslog {
		facility = ${log.syslog_facility}
		severity = notice
	}
	format = "Login incorrect (%{Module-Failure-Message}): [%{User-Name}] (from %client(shortname))"
}