oblog

oblog is a powerful, specialized echo tool. This is the exact same program than 66-yeller. This reimplementation avoids the dependency of the complete 66-tools set of tools.

Interface

oblog [ -h ] [ -d ] [ -s|S ] [ -1 file ] [ -2 file ] [ -z ] [ -n ] [ -c ] [ -p prog ] [ -v verbosity ] [ -i|w|W|t|T|f|F ] msg...

oblog writes the current system time, the name of the program, a colorized informative message (msg), depending on the options passed to one or two streams. By default, stream_1 points to stdout and stream_2 points to stderr. The \a, \b, \t, \n, \v, \f, and \r sequences are recognized in quoted strings, and are converted to the ASCII numbers 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 respectively.

Exit codes

0 success
100 wrong usage
111 system call failed

Options

-h : prints this help.
-d : double-output. It writes on stream_1 and stream_2.
-s : switches streams. Stream_1 becomes stream_2 and stream_2 becomes stream_1.
-S : reads msg from stdin.
-1 file : redirects stream_1 to file. The file is opened for appending and created if it doesn't exist.
-2 file : redirects stream_2 to file. The file is opened for appending and created if it doesn't exist.
-z : enable color. If the stream_1 does not point to a terminal, the color is automatically disabled and the option has no effects.
-n : does not output a trailing newline.
-c : does not write the current sytem time. By default the current system time as an ISO timestamp. It can be set to a TAIN64(see Environment variable).
-p prog : use prog as the program name to display. By default oblog tries to find the name of the calling process by reading and parsing the /proc/<pid>/comm file. This option tells to oblog to use prog as the default program name to display.
-v verbosity : increases/decreases the verbosity of the command.
- 1 : prints error and information messages. This is the default.
- 2 : also prints warning messages.
- 3 : also prints tracing messages.
-i : does not write the informative message.
-w : prints a warning message.
-W : prints a warning message regardless the verbosity level. oblog follows the exact same verbosity rule as any other 66 tools. A verbosity set to 1 will not write a warning message. This option forces oblog to write a warning message even if the verbosity is less than 2.
-t : prints a tracing message.
-T : prints a tracing message regardless the verbosity level. oblog follows the exact same verbosity rule as any other 66 tools. A verbosity set to 2 will not write a tracing message. This option forces oblog to write a tracing message even if the verbosity is less than 3.
-f : prints a fatal message and dies with an 111 as exit code.
-F : prints a fatal message without dying.

msg color options

%w : set color to white
%b : set color to blue
%g : set color to green
%y : set color to yellow
%r : set color to red
%l : enable blinking
%n : reset color to normal

Default informative message format

A info(default) message will be:

    <sytem time> <prog>: info: <msg>

where info is written in green color.

A warning message will be:

    <sytem time> <prog>: warning: <msg>

where warning is written in yellow color.

A tracing message will be:

    <sytem time> <prog>: tracing: <msg>

where tracing is written in white color.

A fatal message will be:

    <sytem time> <prog>: fatal: <msg>

where fatal is written in red color.

Environment variables

The following environment variable can be set to configure the default oblog behavior. The corresponding options set at commandline overwrite the environment variable.

PROG

Corresponds to the -p option. Specifies the name of the program to display.
VERBOSITY

Corresponds to the -v option. Specifies the verbosity level to use.
COLOR_ENABLED

Corresponds to the -z option. Tells to oblog to use color. A value of 1 enable the color, where 0 disable it.
DOUBLE_OUTPUT

Corresponds to the -d option. Tells to oblog to use double-output. A value of 1 switches on the double-output, where 0 switches off the double-output.
CLOCK_ENABLED

Corresponds to the -c option. Tells to oblog to output the current system time. A value of 1 outputs the system time where 0 does not.
CLOCK_TIMESTAMP

Specifies the timestamp to use for the system time display. A value of 1 output the system time as ISO timestamp where 0 outputs the system time as TAIN64 timestamp.
REDIRFD_1

Corresponds to the -1 option. Redirects the stream_1 to its value(e.g. REDIRFD_1=/dev/console). A value of 0 resets the stream_1 to its default value.
REDIRFD_2

Corresponds to the -2 option. Redirects the stream_2 to its value(e.g. REDIRFD_2=/dev/null). A value of 0 resets the stream_2 to its default value.

Usage examples

Call oblog from a terminal where the shell is zsh:

% oblog this is an info message
2020-05-06 10:49:02.71 zsh: info: this is an info message

Same things but specifying the name of the program to print:

% oblog -p MyProg this is a warning message
2020-05-06 10:49:02.71 MyProg: info: this is a info message

This following message will not be displayed:

% oblog -p MyProg -w this following message will not be displayed

Where this one will be:

% oblog -p MyProg -W this following message will be displayed
2020-05-06 10:49:02.71 MyProg: warning: this following message will be displayed

Also, it can be:

% oblog -v2 -p MyProg -w this following message will be displayed
2020-05-06 10:49:02.71 MyProg: warning: this following message will be displayed

Do not display the system time:

% oblog -c -p MyProg what time is it\?
MyProg: info: what time is it?

Also do not display the informative message:

% oblog -ic -p MyProg what time is it\?
what time is it?

Colorize the output where what will be displayed in red color and time in yellow color:

% oblog -ic %r what %y time %n is it\?
what time is it?

Alos, it can be:

% oblog -ic %rwhat%y time%n is it\?
what time is it?

Append a trailing newline and a tabulation:

% oblog -ic what "time\nis\tit?"
what time
is  it?

Use the double-output and redirects stream_2 to myfile file:

% oblog -d -2 myfile -p MyProg reads myfile to see again this message
2020-05-18 09:33:16.47 MyProg: info: reads myfile to see again this message

Reads msg from stdin:

% ls -la /tmp | oblog -p MyProg -S
2020-05-18 09:37:59.15 MyProg: info: total 840K
2020-05-18 09:37:59.15 MyProg: info: drwxrwxrwt  6 root   root   220 May 18 09:07 ./
2020-05-18 09:37:59.15 MyProg: info: drwxr-xr-x 19 root   root  4.0K May 16 09:13 ../
2020-05-18 09:37:59.15 MyProg: info: drwxr-xr-t  2 root   root    40 May 18 06:57 .ICE-unix/
2020-05-18 09:37:59.15 MyProg: info: drwxrwxrwt  2 root   root    60 May 18 06:57 .X11-unix/

Reads message from stdin. Does not display informative message and the system time. Uses double output and redirects stream_2 to myfile

% ls -la /tmp | oblog -cdi2 /tmp/myfile -S /tmp contents "->"
/tmp contents -> total 844K
/tmp contents -> drwxrwxrwt  6 root   root   240 May 18 09:40 ./
/tmp contents -> drwxr-xr-x 19 root   root  4.0K May 16 09:13 ../
/tmp contents -> drwxr-xr-t  2 root   root    40 May 18 06:57 .ICE-unix/
/tmp contents -> drwxrwxrwt  2 root   root    60 May 18 06:57 .X11-unix/

Use oblog in a sh script called script.sh with a pre-defined behavior set by the environment variables:

#!/bin/sh
export PROG=my_awesome_script
export VERBOSITY=2
export DOUBLE_OUTPUT=1
export REDIRFD_2=/tmp/my_awesome_script.log

set -e

if ! [ -e /etc/66/init.conf ]; then
    oblog -f "file /etc/66/init.conf doesn't exist"
else
    cat /etc/66/init.conf | oblog -Sic "%y->%n "
fi

if ! [ -e /etc/66/toto.conf ]; then
    oblog -f "file /etc/66/toto.conf doesn't exist"
else
    cat /etc/66/toto.conf | oblog -Sic "%y->%n "
fi
oblog you will never see this message

% ./script.sh
-> VERBOSITY=0
-> LIVE=/run/66
-> PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin
-> TREE=boot
-> RCINIT=/etc/66/rc.init
-> RCSHUTDOWN=/etc/66/rc.shutdown
-> RCSHUTDOWNFINAL=/etc/66/rc.shutdown.final
-> UMASK=0022
-> RESCAN=0
-> ISHELL=/etc/66/ishell
2020-05-18 09:57:16.83 my_awesome_script: fatal: file /etc/66/toto.conf doesn't exist

% cat /tmp/my_awesome_script
cat /tmp/my_awesome_script.log
-> VERBOSITY=0
-> LIVE=/run/66
-> PATH=/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/sbin:/usr/local/bin
-> TREE=boot
-> RCINIT=/etc/66/rc.init
-> RCSHUTDOWN=/etc/66/rc.shutdown
-> RCSHUTDOWNFINAL=/etc/66/rc.shutdown.final
-> UMASK=0022
-> RESCAN=0
-> ISHELL=/etc/66/ishell
2020-05-18 10:03:28.94 my_awesome_script: fatal: file /etc/66/toto.conf doesn't exist

Table of Contents

oblog

Interface

Exit codes

Options

msg color options

Default informative message format

Environment variables

PROG

VERBOSITY

COLOR_ENABLED

DOUBLE_OUTPUT

CLOCK_ENABLED

CLOCK_TIMESTAMP

REDIRFD_1

REDIRFD_2

Usage examples