mbox: Convert local email messages to log messages

Using the mbox() driver, AxoSyslog can read email messages from local mbox files, and convert them to multiline log messages.

Prerequisites

Install the axosyslog-scl package on Debian/Ubuntu. On RHEL and compatible distributions, the SCL files are part of the axosyslog base package.

Your configuration must also contain @include "scl.conf", which the default configuration file already does. If the SCL files are missing, AxoSyslog fails to start with an unexpected LL_IDENTIFIER error.

@include "scl.conf"

The mbox() driver is a reusable configuration snippet (SCL). For details on using or writing such configuration snippets, see Reusing configuration blocks. You can find its source in scl/mbox/mbox.conf on GitHub.

Configuration

This driver has only one required option, the filename of the mbox file. The following example reads the emails of the root user on the AxoSyslog host.

@include "scl.conf"
source root-mbox {
    mbox("/var/spool/mail/root");
};

mbox() source options

The mbox() driver has the following options.

hook-commands()

Description: This option makes it possible to execute external programs when the relevant driver is initialized or torn down. The hook-commands() can be used with all source and destination drivers with the exception of the usertty() and internal() drivers.

Using hook-commands() when AxoSyslog starts or stops

To execute an external program when AxoSyslog starts or stops, use the following options:

startup()

Description: Defines the external program that is executed as AxoSyslog starts.

shutdown()

Description: Defines the external program that is executed as AxoSyslog stops.

Using the hook-commands() when AxoSyslog reloads

To execute an external program when the AxoSyslog configuration is initiated or torn down, for example, on startup/shutdown or during a AxoSyslog reload, use the following options:

setup()

Description: Defines an external program that is executed when the AxoSyslog configuration is initiated, for example, on startup or during a AxoSyslog reload.

teardown()

Description: Defines an external program that is executed when the AxoSyslog configuration is stopped or torn down, for example, on shutdown or during a AxoSyslog reload.

Example: Using hook-commands() with a network source

In the following example, the hook-commands() is used with the network() driver and it opens an iptables port automatically as AxoSyslog is started/stopped.

The assumption in this example is that the LOGCHAIN chain is part of a larger ruleset that routes traffic to it. Whenever the AxoSyslog created rule is there, packets can flow, otherwise the port is closed.

source {
    network(transport(udp)
    hook-commands(
          startup("iptables -I LOGCHAIN 1 -p udp --dport 514 -j ACCEPT")
          shutdown("iptables -D LOGCHAIN 1")
        )
     );
};