How can I set quotas for /var/log/journal?

Question

On Ubuntu, /var/log/journal grows too large. I am told I can safely delete /var/log/journal/* but I'd rather have a quota set.

How do I do this?

grawity_u1686 · Accepted Answer · 2019-06-25 09:38:21Z

1

To set a total limit for all journal files, specify it in SystemMaxUse=.
To set a limit for individual files (and enforce more frequent rotation), use SystemMaxFileSize=.
Run journalctl --vacuum to enforce new limits.

For example:

[Journal]
# Total limit for all journals:
SystemMaxUse=4G
# Limit for individual files before rotation:
SystemMaxFileSize=1G

answered Jun 25, 2019 at 9:38

grawity_u1686

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journalctl: option '--vacuum' is ambiguous; possibilities: '--vacuum-size' '--vacuum-files' '--vacuum-time'
– spraff
Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 20:09
My mistake, I thought they had added an option to automatically apply new journald.conf limits. I guess you'll have to use one of the manual options it offers you. Or possibly --rotate might do the job, as limits are generally applied during log rotation.
– grawity_u1686
Commented Jun 30, 2019 at 20:12
As the manual page says these days, journald.conf shows the compiled-in defaults, and one can just leave it alone and create e.g. /etc/systemd/journald.conf.d/local-maxuse.conf for local modifications.
– Josip Rodin
Commented Nov 5, 2023 at 9:44
Also, journalctl: option '--vacuum' is ambiguous; possibilities: '--vacuum-size' '--vacuum-files' '--vacuum-time'
– Josip Rodin
Commented Nov 5, 2023 at 9:46

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