systemd journal file: Python parsing library

systemd, a popular user-space system/service management suite on Linux, offers logging functionality, storing incoming logs in a binary journal format.

On live Linux system running systemd, these journals are typically located at:

  • /run/log/journal/machine-id/*.journal (volatile, lost after reboot)
  • /var/log/journal/machine-id/*.journal (persistent, but disabled by default on Debian / Ubuntu)

File extension

journal

KS implementation details

License: CC0-1.0

References

This page hosts a formal specification of systemd journal file using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.

Usage

Runtime library

All parsing code for Python generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the Python runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.

The Python runtime library can be installed from PyPI:

python3 -m pip install kaitaistruct

Code

Parse a local file and get structure in memory:

data = SystemdJournal.from_file("path/to/local/file.journal")

Or parse structure from a bytes:

from kaitaistruct import KaitaiStream, BytesIO

raw = b"\x00\x01\x02..."
data = SystemdJournal(KaitaiStream(BytesIO(raw)))

After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by invoking getter methods like:

data.len_header # => Header length is used to set substream size, as it thus required
prior to declaration of header.

Python source code to parse systemd journal file

systemd_journal.py

# This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
# type: ignore

import kaitaistruct
from kaitaistruct import KaitaiStruct, KaitaiStream, BytesIO
from enum import IntEnum


if getattr(kaitaistruct, 'API_VERSION', (0, 9)) < (0, 11):
    raise Exception("Incompatible Kaitai Struct Python API: 0.11 or later is required, but you have %s" % (kaitaistruct.__version__))

class SystemdJournal(KaitaiStruct):
    """systemd, a popular user-space system/service management suite on Linux,
    offers logging functionality, storing incoming logs in a binary journal
    format.
    
    On live Linux system running systemd, these journals are typically located at:
    
    * /run/log/journal/machine-id/*.journal (volatile, lost after reboot)
    * /var/log/journal/machine-id/*.journal (persistent, but disabled by default on Debian / Ubuntu)
    
    .. seealso::
       Source - https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/journal-files/
    """

    class State(IntEnum):
        offline = 0
        online = 1
        archived = 2
    def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
        super(SystemdJournal, self).__init__(_io)
        self._parent = _parent
        self._root = _root or self
        self._read()

    def _read(self):
        self._raw_header = self._io.read_bytes(self.len_header)
        _io__raw_header = KaitaiStream(BytesIO(self._raw_header))
        self.header = SystemdJournal.Header(_io__raw_header, self, self._root)
        self.objects = []
        for i in range(self.header.num_objects):
            self.objects.append(SystemdJournal.JournalObject(self._io, self, self._root))



    def _fetch_instances(self):
        pass
        self.header._fetch_instances()
        for i in range(len(self.objects)):
            pass
            self.objects[i]._fetch_instances()

        _ = self.data_hash_table
        if hasattr(self, '_m_data_hash_table'):
            pass

        _ = self.field_hash_table
        if hasattr(self, '_m_field_hash_table'):
            pass

        _ = self.len_header
        if hasattr(self, '_m_len_header'):
            pass


    class DataObject(KaitaiStruct):
        """Data objects are designed to carry log payload, typically in
        form of a "key=value" string in `payload` attribute.
        
        .. seealso::
           Source - https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/journal-files/#dataobjects
        """
        def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
            super(SystemdJournal.DataObject, self).__init__(_io)
            self._parent = _parent
            self._root = _root
            self._read()

        def _read(self):
            self.hash = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_next_hash = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_head_field = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_entry = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_entry_array = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.num_entries = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.payload = self._io.read_bytes_full()


        def _fetch_instances(self):
            pass
            _ = self.entry
            if hasattr(self, '_m_entry'):
                pass
                self._m_entry._fetch_instances()

            _ = self.entry_array
            if hasattr(self, '_m_entry_array'):
                pass
                self._m_entry_array._fetch_instances()

            _ = self.head_field
            if hasattr(self, '_m_head_field'):
                pass
                self._m_head_field._fetch_instances()

            _ = self.next_hash
            if hasattr(self, '_m_next_hash'):
                pass
                self._m_next_hash._fetch_instances()


        @property
        def entry(self):
            if hasattr(self, '_m_entry'):
                return self._m_entry

            if self.ofs_entry != 0:
                pass
                io = self._root._io
                _pos = io.pos()
                io.seek(self.ofs_entry)
                self._m_entry = SystemdJournal.JournalObject(io, self, self._root)
                io.seek(_pos)

            return getattr(self, '_m_entry', None)

        @property
        def entry_array(self):
            if hasattr(self, '_m_entry_array'):
                return self._m_entry_array

            if self.ofs_entry_array != 0:
                pass
                io = self._root._io
                _pos = io.pos()
                io.seek(self.ofs_entry_array)
                self._m_entry_array = SystemdJournal.JournalObject(io, self, self._root)
                io.seek(_pos)

            return getattr(self, '_m_entry_array', None)

        @property
        def head_field(self):
            if hasattr(self, '_m_head_field'):
                return self._m_head_field

            if self.ofs_head_field != 0:
                pass
                io = self._root._io
                _pos = io.pos()
                io.seek(self.ofs_head_field)
                self._m_head_field = SystemdJournal.JournalObject(io, self, self._root)
                io.seek(_pos)

            return getattr(self, '_m_head_field', None)

        @property
        def next_hash(self):
            if hasattr(self, '_m_next_hash'):
                return self._m_next_hash

            if self.ofs_next_hash != 0:
                pass
                io = self._root._io
                _pos = io.pos()
                io.seek(self.ofs_next_hash)
                self._m_next_hash = SystemdJournal.JournalObject(io, self, self._root)
                io.seek(_pos)

            return getattr(self, '_m_next_hash', None)


    class Header(KaitaiStruct):
        def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
            super(SystemdJournal.Header, self).__init__(_io)
            self._parent = _parent
            self._root = _root
            self._read()

        def _read(self):
            self.signature = self._io.read_bytes(8)
            if not self.signature == b"\x4C\x50\x4B\x53\x48\x48\x52\x48":
                raise kaitaistruct.ValidationNotEqualError(b"\x4C\x50\x4B\x53\x48\x48\x52\x48", self.signature, self._io, u"/types/header/seq/0")
            self.compatible_flags = self._io.read_u4le()
            self.incompatible_flags = self._io.read_u4le()
            self.state = KaitaiStream.resolve_enum(SystemdJournal.State, self._io.read_u1())
            self.reserved = self._io.read_bytes(7)
            self.file_id = self._io.read_bytes(16)
            self.machine_id = self._io.read_bytes(16)
            self.boot_id = self._io.read_bytes(16)
            self.seqnum_id = self._io.read_bytes(16)
            self.len_header = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.len_arena = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_data_hash_table = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.len_data_hash_table = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_field_hash_table = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.len_field_hash_table = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_tail_object = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.num_objects = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.num_entries = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.tail_entry_seqnum = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.head_entry_seqnum = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.ofs_entry_array = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.head_entry_realtime = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.tail_entry_realtime = self._io.read_u8le()
            self.tail_entry_monotonic = self._io.read_u8le()
            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass
                self.num_data = self._io.read_u8le()

            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass
                self.num_fields = self._io.read_u8le()

            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass
                self.num_tags = self._io.read_u8le()

            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass
                self.num_entry_arrays = self._io.read_u8le()



        def _fetch_instances(self):
            pass
            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass

            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass

            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass

            if (not (self._io.is_eof())):
                pass



    class JournalObject(KaitaiStruct):
        """
        .. seealso::
           Source - https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/journal-files/#objects
        """

        class ObjectTypes(IntEnum):
            unused = 0
            data = 1
            field = 2
            entry = 3
            data_hash_table = 4
            field_hash_table = 5
            entry_array = 6
            tag = 7
        def __init__(self, _io, _parent=None, _root=None):
            super(SystemdJournal.JournalObject, self).__init__(_io)
            self._parent = _parent
            self._root = _root
            self._read()

        def _read(self):
            self.padding = self._io.read_bytes((8 - self._io.pos()) % 8)
            self.object_type = KaitaiStream.resolve_enum(SystemdJournal.JournalObject.ObjectTypes, self._io.read_u1())
            self.flags = self._io.read_u1()
            self.reserved = self._io.read_bytes(6)
            self.len_object = self._io.read_u8le()
            _on = self.object_type
            if _on == SystemdJournal.JournalObject.ObjectTypes.data:
                pass
                self._raw_payload = self._io.read_bytes(self.len_object - 16)
                _io__raw_payload = KaitaiStream(BytesIO(self._raw_payload))
                self.payload = SystemdJournal.DataObject(_io__raw_payload, self, self._root)
            else:
                pass
                self.payload = self._io.read_bytes(self.len_object - 16)


        def _fetch_instances(self):
            pass
            _on = self.object_type
            if _on == SystemdJournal.JournalObject.ObjectTypes.data:
                pass
                self.payload._fetch_instances()
            else:
                pass


    @property
    def data_hash_table(self):
        if hasattr(self, '_m_data_hash_table'):
            return self._m_data_hash_table

        _pos = self._io.pos()
        self._io.seek(self.header.ofs_data_hash_table)
        self._m_data_hash_table = self._io.read_bytes(self.header.len_data_hash_table)
        self._io.seek(_pos)
        return getattr(self, '_m_data_hash_table', None)

    @property
    def field_hash_table(self):
        if hasattr(self, '_m_field_hash_table'):
            return self._m_field_hash_table

        _pos = self._io.pos()
        self._io.seek(self.header.ofs_field_hash_table)
        self._m_field_hash_table = self._io.read_bytes(self.header.len_field_hash_table)
        self._io.seek(_pos)
        return getattr(self, '_m_field_hash_table', None)

    @property
    def len_header(self):
        """Header length is used to set substream size, as it thus required
        prior to declaration of header.
        """
        if hasattr(self, '_m_len_header'):
            return self._m_len_header

        _pos = self._io.pos()
        self._io.seek(88)
        self._m_len_header = self._io.read_u8le()
        self._io.seek(_pos)
        return getattr(self, '_m_len_header', None)