# $IncludeConfig

Warning

This legacy directive has been superseded by the rsyslog include() configuration object. While it is save to use the legacy statement, we highly recommend to use it’s modern counterpart. Among others, the include() object provides enhanced functionality.

Type: global configuration parameter

Default:

Description:

This parameter allows to include other files into the main configuration file. As soon as an IncludeConfig parameter is found, the contents of the new file is processed. IncludeConfigs can be nested. Please note that from a logical point of view the files are merged. Thus, if the include modifies some parameters (e.g. $DynaFileCacheSize), these new parameters are in place for the “calling” configuration file when the include is completed. To avoid any side effects, do a $ResetConfigVariables after the $IncludeConfig. It may also be a good idea to do a $ResetConfigVariables right at the start of the include, so that the module knows exactly what it does. Of course, one might specifically NOT do this to inherit parameters from the main file. As always, use it as it best fits…

Note: if multiple files are included, they are processed in ascending sort order of the file name. We use the “glob()” C library function for obtaining the sorted list. On most platforms, especially Linux, this means the sort order is the same as for bash.

If all regular files in the /etc/rsyslog.d directory are included, then files starting with “.” are ignored - so you can use them to place comments into the dir (e.g. “/etc/rsyslog.d/.mycomment” will be ignored). Michael Biebl had the idea to this functionality. Let me quote him:

> Say you can add an option `$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/` (which probably would make a good default) to `/etc/rsyslog.conf`, which would then merge and include all `*.conf` files in `/etc/rsyslog.d/`. This way, a distribution can modify its packages easily to drop a simple config file into this directory upon installation. As an example, the network-manager package could install a simple config file `/etc/rsyslog.d/network-manager.conf` which would contain. `:programname, contains, "NetworkManager" -/var/log/NetworkManager.log` Upon uninstallation, the file could be easily removed again. This approach would be much cleaner and less error prone, than having to munge around with the `/etc/rsyslog.conf` file directly.

Sample:

`$IncludeConfig /etc/some-included-file.conf`

Directories can also be included. To do so, the name must end on a slash:

`$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/`

And finally, only specific files matching a wildcard my be included from a directory:

`$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf`

See also

Help with configuring/using `Rsyslog`:

- Mailing list - best route for general questions

- GitHub: rsyslog source project - detailed questions, reporting issues that are believed to be bugs with `Rsyslog`

See also

Contributing to `Rsyslog`:

- Source project: rsyslog project README.

- Documentation: rsyslog-doc project README

Copyright 2008-2023 Rainer Gerhards (Großrinderfeld), and Others.