persist-tool(1)

📦
version 4.12.0 · 13 versions
, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, fedora 44, nixpkgs unstable

💖 persist-tool(1) — bestie, we're doing manual pages now

okay so this is the manual page for persist-tool, and it lives in the persist-tool manual page section of your man pages, iykyk. grab a strawberry 🍓 and let's get into it.

✨ NAME ✨

persist-tool — the {{ site.product.short_name }} configuration file, bestie. that's literally what it says and I'm not gonna lie to you about it.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

persist-tool [command] [options]

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so first thing, heads up: this manual page is only an abstract. it's giving trailer, not the whole movie. 🎬

the persist-tool application is a utility that can be used to dump the content of the persist file, and manipulate its content.

⚠️ CAUTION: persist-tool is a special tool for syslog-ng experts. do use the tool unless you know exactly what you are doing. misconfiguring it will result in irrecoverable damage to the persist file, without any warning. not dramatic, just true. 💀

Limitations:

  • the persist-state functions can be used only with SLP4 or newer persist files. older persist files are not supported.
  • wildcard characters are not supported in file and directory names.

🌈 THE DUMP COMMAND 🌈

dump [options] [persist_file]

use the dump command to print the current content of the persist file in JSON format to the console. cute, right? ✨

the dump command has the following options:

  • --help, -? — display a brief help message. for example:
    persist-tool dump /Users/hofi/Develop/Balabit/syslog-ng/build/install/var/syslog-ng persist

a valid output is the following:

run_id = { "value": "00 00 00 00 0C 00 00 00 " }
host_id = { "value": "00 00 00 00 5F 49 2F 01 " }

look at that, clean. no notes. 💅

🦋 THE ADD COMMAND 🦋

add [options] [input_file]

use the add command to add or modify a specified state-entry in the persist file. the state-entry should be in the same format as the dump command displays it. if the given state-entry already exists, it will be updated. otherwise, a new value will be added. if the given persist state is invalid, it will be skipped.

to use the add command: use persist-tool dump to print the content of the current persist file, and redirect it to a file. edit the content of this file. use persist-tool add with this file to modify the persist.

the add command has the following options:

  • --help, -? — display a brief help message.
  • --output-dir=<directory>, -o — required parameter. the directory where the persist file is located at. the name of the persist file stored in this directory must be syslog-ng.persist.
  • --persist-name=<filename>, -p — optional parameter. the name of the persist file to generate. default value: syslog-ng.persist. for example:
/Users/hofi/Develop/Balabit/syslog-ng/build/install/bin/persist-tool add dump_persist -o .

a valid output is the following:

log_reader_curpos(Application)      OK
affile_sd_curpos(/var/aaa.txt)        OK

an invalid output is the following:

log_reader_curpos(Application)      OK
wrong
FAILED (error: Invalid entry syntax)
affile_sd_curpos(/var/aaa.txt)        OK

see how it just tells you what went wrong? iconic behaviour honestly. 👑

🎀 FILES 🎀

/Users/hofi/Develop/Balabit/syslog-ng/build/install/bin/persist-tool

💜 SEE ALSO 💜

📣 NOTE: if you experience any problems or need help with syslog-ng OSE, see the syslog-ng OSE Administration Guide[1], or visit the syslog-ng OSE mailing list[2]. for news and notifications about syslog-ng OSE, visit the syslog-ng OSE blogs[3].

🌸 AUTHOR 🌸

this manual page was generated from the syslog-ng OSE Administration Guide[1], which was written by several contributors to whom we'd like to extend our sincere thanks. 🫶 absolute legends, every one of them.

🧚 NOTES 🧚

and that's the whole page bestie, no cap. this one's from version 4.10.2, dated 18 December 2025 — go forth and please back up your persist file before you touch anything, ok? love u, bye 💖✨🌈

📦 where this page comes from