brew

Install syslog-ng with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, pacman, zypper

Log daemon with advanced processing pipeline and a wide range of I/O methods. Version 4.12.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-02.

Install command Security notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install syslog-ng

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install syslog-ng

MacPorts ports tree · sysutils/syslog-ng/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add syslog-ng

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · syslog-ng · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install syslog-ng

Debian stable package indexes · syslog-ng · source: deb.debian.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install syslog-ng

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · syslog-ng · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S syslog-ng

Arch Linux sync databases · syslog-ng · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install libevtlog-4_11-0

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libevtlog-4_11-0 · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Log daemon with advanced processing pipeline and a wide range of I/O methods

Project links

Commands and aliases

dqtool
loggen
pdbtool
persist-tool
slogencrypt
slogkey
slogverify
syslog-ng
syslog-ng-ctl
syslog-ng-debun
syslog-ng-update-virtualenv
update-patterndb

history

Project history and usage

syslog-ng is an enhanced syslog daemon for Unix-like systems, used to receive, filter, parse, transform, route, and store system and application logs.

Project history

The project is associated with Balazs Scheidler, named by the upstream repository as the original creator and main developer. An official syslog-ng community post quotes Scheidler saying he began coding the first version in September 1998, after which the project grew from a syslogd replacement into a broader log-processing pipeline.

The upstream README describes syslog-ng as supporting classic syslog formats, JSON and unstructured input, parsers, files, message queues, SQL and NoSQL databases, and big-data destinations. It also notes Balabit as the original commercial sponsor and One Identity as the owner after Balabit's 2018 acquisition.

Adoption history

The syslog-ng README says it is integrated into almost all Linux distributions and BSDs. The official community post says early adoption included Debian, Gentoo, SUSE, commercial Unix systems, default logging-daemon roles in some distributions, and embedding in commercial products.

The supplied package-manager facts list syslog-ng across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora/dnf, Alpine/apk, Arch/pacman, MacPorts, and openSUSE/zypper, which matches its long-lived role as a portable logging component.

How it is used

Package users typically install the daemon, edit syslog-ng.conf, then run syslog-ng or service-manager integration to collect local logs, accept network syslog, and forward or store the resulting event stream.

Its companion commands such as loggen, pdbtool, persist-tool, and syslog-ng-ctl matter to operators because packaging the project gives more than a daemon: it gives test generators, pattern-database tooling, control commands, and migration helpers.

Why package nerds care

syslog-ng matters in package-manager culture because logging is infrastructure glue: distributions need a daemon with stable config paths, service integration, optional modules, and sane defaults.

It is also a classic example of a package whose value depends on compile-time feature detection and optional dependencies; packagers care about which destinations, parsers, TLS, database, and message-queue modules are enabled.

Timeline

1998: Balazs Scheidler began coding the first version of syslog-ng.
2018: One Identity acquired Balabit, the original commercial sponsor named by the upstream README.
2026: The upstream README describes syslog-ng as integrated into almost all Linux distributions and BSDs.

Related projects

syslog-ng sits in the syslog/log-processing family alongside traditional syslogd-style daemons and modern telemetry pipelines; the upstream README explicitly points to destinations such as Elasticsearch, Kafka, Hadoop, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB.

Sources

https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng
https://www.syslog-ng.com/community/b/blog/posts/the-syslog-ng-insider-2022-01-reboot-sequence-monterey-centos-9
source_facts.package-manager

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:encrypt

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
Installs with 20 runtime dependencies.
Build metadata lists 4 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: /etc/syslog-ng/syslog-ng.conf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`dqtool`	cli	global executable
`loggen`	cli	global executable
`pdbtool`	cli	global executable
`persist-tool`	cli	global executable
`slogencrypt`	cli	global executable
`slogkey`	cli	global executable
`slogverify`	cli	global executable
`syslog-ng`	cli	global executable
`syslog-ng-ctl`	cli	global executable
`syslog-ng-debun`	cli	global executable
`syslog-ng-update-virtualenv`	cli	global executable
`update-patterndb`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version4.12.0

manager updated2026-07-02

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng

infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ngnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:syslog-ng
Version	4.12.0
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/syslog-ng
Homepage	https://www.syslog-ng.com
Repository	https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng
Upstream docs	https://syslog-ng.github.io/
License	LGPL-2.1-or-later AND GPL-2.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng/releases/download/syslog-ng-4.12.0/syslog-ng-4.12.0.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-07-02T20:34:06Z
Pulse	updated
Dependencies	abseil, gettext, glib, grpc, hiredis, ivykis, json-c, libdbi, libmaxminddb, libnet, libpaho-mqtt, librdkafka, mongo-c-driver, net-snmp, openssl@3, pcre2, protobuf, python@3.14, rabbitmq-c, riemann-client
Build dependencies	autoconf, automake, libtool, pkgconf
Uses from macOS	curl
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	syslog-ng
Version Scheme	0
Revision	2
Head Version	HEAD
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	head stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

syslog-ng 4.8.1-5+deb13u1

Enhanced system logging daemon (metapackage)