Re: Proposal: Disable compression of newsyslog by default

> On 23. Dec 2023, at 16:10, Enji Cooper <yaneurabeya@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Dec 22, 2023, at 23:18, Xin Li <delphij@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.

I would not change the default behavior (POLA violation), but adding an easy to change knob to disable compression sounds like a reasonable approach.

-m