One of the problems with logarchive bundles is that they are often large, over 500 MB, and contain a lot of individual tracev3 log files.

This new version of my free tool MakeLogarchive can generate and save a catalogue of tracev3 files inside any well-formed logarchive bundle, including those which it creates. For each tracev3 file found, it gives its path within the bundle, the start and end dates and times of that individual log file, its size, and the length of the period which it covers.

This is not only invaluable for those browsing logarchives using Consolation, but for anyone working with logarchives.

I also stumbled across an interesting side-effect of the Finder’s sorting of file names: because the Finder assumes that numbered files use decimal numbers, files (and folders) which are named using hexadecimal digits A-F are sorted ‘incorrectly’. So if you are looking for a file named 1A, it will appear before those named 10-19, rather than after them.

This new version of MakeLogarchive now includes a proper PDF manual, which also explains how to use it in conjunction with Consolation to browse logarchives efficiently.

It is available here: mla4
and in Downloads above.

My next task in MakeLogarchive is to derive a better timestamp for logarchives. From there, I have two possible directions:

• integrate MakeLogarchive into Consolation, so that the app will automatically set appropriate Start and End dates and times when loading a tracev3 file, for example, or
• concentrate on broader analysis of log files, which includes statistics on the processes making most log entries over time. This would be of great interest to developers, and anyone looking at patterns of log entries, and currently is virgin territory, as far as I am aware.

Although the first might bring some efficiencies to those using Consolation to work with logarchives, I think the gains are limited. The second direction looks the more exciting, and innovative.

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