log files piling up!

T

txdonna

Registered
Hi. I've researched this for days now, and nothing seems to help. I'm having this issue with my G4 Mac (OS X 10.5.6 (9G55)), where the Console stops responding and I'm unable to delete some very sizable (7 gigs) private/var/log/asl files. I've tried installing OmniDiskSweeper and I can *see* the logs, but I can't delete them. If I try to access them from the Console, it just runs and runs and no reports generate (it shows as non-responsive). I d/l'd TinkerTool System and ran Cache Out and Onyx, too, to no avail.

What the hell? From what I've read, these archived log files are useless, and I just have to tweak an update setting to get them to stop adding themselves over and over again until my disk is full, but in the meantime? They're just sitting there (the oldest one from February).

This is eating into my valuable storage real estate! Help, please!!
 
Download:

YASU (free, donation requested)
http://jimmitchelldesign.com/projects/yasu/

and use it to clear all of your logs and caches.

This will fix the problem temporarily, but probably not permanently. More than likely you have an application that is continuously writing error messages one after another to a log, causing the log to quickly balloon and fill up your hard drive.

DiskInventory X (free)
http://www.derlien.com/

or

GrandPerspective (free)
http://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/

will show you which files have balooned and are now taking up all of your disk space. Usually these will be log files.

Console (part of OS X)
Applications/Utilities/Console.app

or

LogSurfer (free)
http://www.turingart.com/lgsurfer_lan__en.htm

Will allow you to read your Mac's log files.

Open them and see what is writing to them constantly.
You probably want to uninstall the offending software.
 
I appreciate very much the prompt and thorough reply. However, I already *know* it's log files that are bloating the system. This is the fourth (Yasu) program I've thrown at the log files, trying to get them deleted, and they're still there. OmniDiskSweeper, Onyx and CacheOut also "state" they'll delete the offending logs, but do not. OmniDiskSweeper still shows the files sitting in there, even after all four programs have been applied.

The problem is that a) none of the programs are getting to the private/var/log/asl files in a capacity that allows them to be deleted, either manually or with a program. Also, my Console just spins and spins and does nothing when I open it, so I can't access these files there. I imagine it's the sheer size of the logs that's giving it fits.

Any other ideas?

Thanks for your help. Seriously. This is making me a little stabby.
 
Gahhhh...I figured it out, and it wasn't anything I found program- or advice-wise...I double-clicked on one of the logs while it was up in OmniDiskSweeper, instead of just highlighting it to delete, and having the program fail. It opened the file in Finder, and I was able to delete it (them) there. I still have no idea why Omni wouldn't/couldn't delete the offending files. Obviously there were no disk permission or fragment issues. I don't care! It's fixed!

Thanks SO MUCH for your help.

Donna
 
I had the same exact problem with my iMac running OS X Leopard. These are Photoshop style files. I had over 3,000 of them! They had dates starting back in early 2008 just zapping my hard disk space. I was finally able to isolate them the same way using Onyx and OmniDiskSweeper. I'm deleting them now, however, ANOTHER one was created with today's date -- at least now I can get to it. I hope someone might have an answer why these style files (.asl) keep appearing? Is my Photoshop corrupt? Any way to check this?
 
kraftpr said:
I hope someone might have an answer why these style files (.asl) keep appearing? Is my Photoshop corrupt? Any way to check this?
Click to expand...

Have you tried opening one of these files with a text editor, like Tex-Edit Plus or BBEdit, and seeing what is in them? Their contents might give you a clue as to why they are being created.
 
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