How to create a custom log file

Article ID:360000855352
2 minute readKnowledge base

Issue

  • How to create a custom logger file

  • Using a specific timestamp

  • Doing custom rotation

Environment

Resolution

If you need to create a new logger from a specific Jenkins Handler you need to create a groovy script.

This groovy script should be included in your $JENKINS_HOME/init.groovy (if the file doesn’t exist, you’ll need to create it with this script) that will add a logger with the handler.

You need to modify the path of the log file (PATHTOLOG) in the script with the path of your local system where you like to save it.

import java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
import java.util.logging.FileHandler
import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
import java.util.logging.LogManager
import jenkins.model.Jenkins

// Log into the console
def WebAppMainLogger = LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger("hudson.WebAppMain")
WebAppMainLogger.addHandler (new ConsoleHandler())

// Log into a file
def RunLogger = LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger("hudson.model.Run")
def logsDir = new File(Jenkins.instance.rootDir, "logs")
if(!logsDir.exists()){logsDir.mkdirs()}
FileHandler handler = new FileHandler("PATHTOLOG/hudson.model.Run-%g.log", 1024 * 1024, 10, true);
handler.setFormatter(new SimpleFormatter());
RunLogger.addHandler(handler)

Custom logger behaviors

Create the logger with a specific timestamp

You can set a specific timestamp using a script like in the example below.

import java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
import java.util.logging.FileHandler
import java.text.MessageFormat
import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
import java.util.logging.LogManager
import jenkins.model.Jenkins
import java.util.logging.LogRecord

// Log into the console
def WebAppMainLogger = LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger("hudson.WebAppMain")
WebAppMainLogger.addHandler (new ConsoleHandler())

// Log into a file
def RunLogger = LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger("hudson.model.Run")
def logsDir = new File(Jenkins.instance.rootDir, "logs")
if(!logsDir.exists()){logsDir.mkdirs()}
FileHandler handler = new FileHandler("PATHTOLOG/hudson.model.Run-%g.log", 1024 * 1024, 10, true);
def formatter= (new SimpleFormatter() {
        private static final String format = "%1\$tY-%1\$tm-%1\$tdT%1\$tH:%1\$tM:%1\$tS %4\$s %10\$s %n%2\$s %14\$s %n";
          @Override
          public synchronized String format(LogRecord lr) {

              return String.format(format,new Date(lr.getMillis()),lr.getLevel().getLocalizedName(),lr.getMessage(),lr.getLoggerName(),lr.getParameters(),lr.getResourceBundle(),lr.getResourceBundleName(),lr.getSequenceNumber(),lr.getSourceClassName(),lr.getSourceMethodName(),lr.getThreadID(),lr.getThrown(),lr.getLevel().getName(),formatMessage(lr));
          }
      });

handler.setFormatter(formatter);
RunLogger.addHandler(handler);

If you need to modify the timestamp format you should need to modify:

private static final String format = "%1\$tY-%1\$tm-%1\$tdT%1\$tH:%1\$tM:%1\$tS %4\$s %10\$s %n%2\$s %14\$s %n";

In the references section, you have the guides of how to modify the format.

Customize log rotation

If you want to set up your own logger rotation (on the simple logger your logger is going to be rotated when the log reaches 1GB, and in the logger with timestamp it will rotate with the timestamp) you may delete 1024 * 1024 from previous scripts, resulting on FileHandler handler = new FileHandler(logsDir.absolutePath+"/ldap-%g.log", true); as in the script below:

import java.util.logging.FileHandler import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter import java.util.logging.LogManager import jenkins.model.Jenkins // Log into the console def WebAppMainLogger = LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger("hudson.WebAppMain") WebAppMainLogger.addHandler (new ConsoleHandler()) // Log into a file def RunLogger = LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger("org.acegisecurity.providers.ldap.LdapAuthenticationProvider") def logsDir = new File(Jenkins.instance.rootDir, "logs") if(!logsDir.exists()){logsDir.mkdirs()} FileHandler handler = new FileHandler(logsDir.absolutePath+"/ldap-%g.log", true); handler.setFormatter(new SimpleFormatter()); RunLogger.addHandler(handler)

WARNING about logger custom rotation

At this point you will have a custom logger that doesn’t rotate. You need to rotate it using logrotate to prevent your system from running out of space.

You can refer to Log file rotation to rotate your logs to cover your use case.

Tested products/plugins version

The latest update of this article was tested with:

  • Jenkins core 2.60.2 API