Sys-svc-journalctl Role

Description: Host-level configuration for the systemd-journald logging daemon with retention limits and live log streaming

Variables

  • author: Kevin Veen-Birkenbach

  • description: Host-level configuration for the systemd-journald logging daemon with retention limits and live log streaming

  • license: Infinito.Nexus Community License (Non-Commercial)

  • company: Kevin Veen-Birkenbach https://www.veen.world

  • galaxy_tags: [‘system’, ‘logging’, ‘journald’]

  • issue_tracker_url: https://s.infinito.nexus/issues

  • min_ansible_version: 2.9

  • platforms: [{‘name’: ‘ArchLinux’, ‘versions’: [‘all’]}, {‘name’: ‘Debian’, ‘versions’: [‘all’]}, {‘name’: ‘EL’, ‘versions’: [‘all’]}, {‘name’: ‘Fedora’, ‘versions’: [‘all’]}, {‘name’: ‘Ubuntu’, ‘versions’: [‘all’]}]

README

Journalctl

This Ansible role manages the configuration of systemd-journald on target hosts.

Description

  • Copies a customized journald.conf to /etc/systemd/journald.conf

  • Ensures log retention for one week

  • Restarts the systemd-journald service when configuration changes

  • Supports live log streaming via journalctl -f

Overview

  1. Template deployment The role places your journald.conf.j2 template into /etc/systemd/journald.conf.

  2. Service handler On change, it notifies a handler to restart systemd-journald.

  3. Monitoring You can follow logs in real time with journalctl -f.

Cosmos

The diagram places Journalctl in the Infinito.Nexus cosmos: the components it deploys (capabilities), the central services it consumes (dependencies), and its outward reach (federation and bridged external networks).

flowchart LR
    subgraph role [sys-svc-journalctl 💻]
        svc_svc_journalctl["svc-journalctl"]
    end

Solid 1:1 edges are fixed relationships; dashed 0..1 edges are conditional (enabled only in matching deployments); red 0..0 edges are turned off in this role. Node markers show the role’s deploy modes (💻 host, 🐳 compose, 🐝 swarm); ❌ marks a service that is explicitly turned off, and ⚙️ an Ansible role dependency declared in meta/main.yml.

Features

  • Customizable retention and runtime limits

  • Seamless restarts on config update

  • Integration with sys-ctl-hlth-journalctl for downstream monitoring

Usage

- hosts: all
  roles:
    - role: sys-svc-journalctl

Credits

Implemented by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Part of the Infinito.Nexus Project and maintained by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Licensed under the Infinito.Nexus Community License (Non-Commercial).