The owner of the /etc/syslog.conf file must be root. The syslog.conf file is the configuration file for the syslogd(8) program. It consists of lines with two fields: the selector field which specifies the types of messages and priorities to which the line applies, and an action field which specifies the action to be taken if a message syslogd receives matches the selection criteria. The selector field is separated from the action field by one or more tab characters.