The syslog-ng 4.11 release is right around the corner. Thousands of automatic tests run before each new piece of source code is merged, but nothing can replace real-world hands-on tests. So help us testing Elasticsearch / OpenSearch data-streams, Kafka source, cmake fixes and much more!
Before you begin
The development of syslog-ng is supported by thousands of automatic test cases. Nothing can enter the syslog-ng source code before all of these tests pass. In theory, I could ask my colleagues at any moment to make a release from the current state of the syslog-ng development branch once all tests pass. However, before my current job, I was working as a director of quality assurance, so I have a different take on testing things. Automatic test cases are indeed fantastic and help us to catch many problems during development. However, nothing can replace real-world users trying to use the latest version of your software.
Personally, I run a nightly or git snapshot build of syslog-ng on all my hosts. However, none of my machines are mission-critical, where downtime would cost $$$ with each and every passing minute. While syslog-ng snapshot builds are usually quite stable and breaking configuration changes are rare, I still do not recommend installing these builds on critical servers. On the other hand, I am a big fan of production testing on hosts where running into occasional problems is not a critical issue.
What is coming in syslog-ng 4.11?
The largest new feature has not yet been merged. It is the Kafka source, allowing you to collect log messages from Kafka streams. You can read more about it at https://www.syslog-ng.com/community/b/blog/posts/how-to-test-the-syslog-ng-kafka-source-by-building-the-package-yourself
Support for Elasticsearch / OpenSearch data streams was also added: https://www.syslog-ng.com/community/b/blog/posts/changes-in-the-syslog-ng-elasticsearch-destination
But 4.11 also includes many other interesting new features and bug fixes, including:
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OAuth2 support in the cloud-auth module, including gRPC-based destinations
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Failover support in the load-balancer
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Improved performance and lowered resource usage on macOS
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cmake support feature parity with autotools
For a complete list of changes, check the list of closed pull requests in the syslog-ng repo on GitHub: https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng/pulls?q=is%3Apr+is%3Aclosed
How to test new features and bug fixes?
In most cases, the nightly syslog-ng package or container builds are good enough for testing features and bug fixes. These are documented on the syslog-ng GitHub page at https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng
However, there are some exceptions. The Kafka source driver has not yet been merged, as it is still under review. However, it has already worked perfectly in my test environment, so you can test that too. If you run one of the RPM distros, then my git snapshot builds include the Kafka source as well: https://www.syslog-ng.com/community/b/blog/posts/rpm-packages-from-syslog-ng-git-head/ You can also build packages yourself using DBLD, the syslog-ng containerized build system. Read more about it in the Kafka blog referenced above.
The cmake changes are intended for developers / packagers. Obviously, this means that if you want to test it, you have to build syslog-ng yourself – using cmake.
What is next?
If you run into any problems (not just with the new features), let us know! Your feedback helps us to make syslog-ng better not just for you, but for everyone. You can report your issues at https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng/issues Of course we are also interested in your success stories or questions as well, which you can post at https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng/discussions
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If you have questions or comments related to syslog-ng, do not hesitate to contact us. You can reach us by email or even chat with us. For a list of possibilities, check our GitHub page under the “Community” section at https://github.com/syslog-ng/syslog-ng. On Twitter, I am available as @PCzanik, on Mastodon as @Pczanik@fosstodon.org.