Re: Proposal: Disable compression of newsyslog by default

On Fri, Dec 22, 2023 at 11:18:23PM -0800, Xin Li 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 is strange change at best.  I have no opinion about the disabling
of compression of the rotated logs by default, but we already have knobs
to do that.  Adding a knob that disables (or enables) other knobs to work
is weird.

If you want to change the compression, update the default configuration file.