> On Dec 22, 2023, at 23:18, Xin Li <delp...@delphij.net> wrote: > > Hi, > > Inspired by D42961, I propose that we move forward with disabling the > compression by default in newsyslog, as implemented in > https://reviews.freebsd.org/D43169 > > Historically, newsyslog has compressed rotated log files to save disk space. > This approach was valuable in the early days where storage space was limited. > However, the landscape has changed significantly. Modern file systems, such > as ZFS, now offer native compression capabilities. Additionally, the > widespread availability of larger hard drives has diminished the necessity > for additional compression. Notably, the need to decompress log files for > pattern searches poses a significant inconvenience, further questioning the > utility of this legacy feature. > > In commit 906748d208d3, flags J, X, Y, Z can now indicate that a log file is > eligible for compression rather than directly enforcing it. It allows for a > more flexible approach, wherein the actual compression method can be set to > "none" or specified as one among bzip2, gzip, xz, or zstd. > > Therefore I would propose that we change the default compression setting to > "none" in FreeBSD 15.0. This change reflects our adaptation to the evolving > technological environment and user needs. It also aligns with the broader > initiative to modernize our systems while maintaining flexibility and > efficiency. > > I look forward to your thoughts and feedback on this proposal.
This impacts embedded systems or jails which use UFS as the default /var/log backed device. There are quite a few larger consumers of FreeBSD out there that still use UFS instead of ZFS. Adding this instead into bsdinstall and the documentation as a suggested knob seems like a good way to go. Just something to keep in mind when making this change. Cheers, -Enji
