# Inspired by: http://www.maciverse.com/the-case-of-the-slow-mac-and-how-to-fix-it.html

# cf. man syslog, man syslogd and http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man8/syslogd.8.html
/usr/bin/open -a Console   # system.log
/usr/bin/tail -n 50 /private/var/log/system.log

help declare
declare -x sudo=/usr/bin/sudo plistbuddy=/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy defaults=/usr/bin/defaults
/usr/bin/env | /usr/bin/grep -E 'sudo=|plistbuddy=|defaults='

# create a symbolic link (on Mac OS X 10.4)
help test
/usr/bin/locate PlistBuddy
if [[ ! -e /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy ]]; then $sudo /bin/ln -s "/Library/Receipts/AdditionalEssentials.pkg/Contents/Resources/PlistBuddy" /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy; fi

# make a backup
$sudo /bin/cp -p /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist.orig

# cf. http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man8/PlistBuddy.8.html
$plistbuddy -h   

$plistbuddy -c Print /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$plistbuddy -c "Print :ProgramArguments" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

# compare
$defaults read /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd
$defaults read /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd ProgramArguments

$sudo /usr/bin/nano /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Delete :ProgramArguments" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments array" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments:0 string '/usr/sbin/syslogd'" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments:1 string '-c'" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments:2 integer 3" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

# Mac OS X 10.5
#$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments:3 string '-a'" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
#$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments:4 string '-db_max'" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
#$sudo $plistbuddy -c "Add :ProgramArguments:5 integer 5000000" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

$plistbuddy -c "Print :ProgramArguments" /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$defaults read /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd ProgramArguments
$sudo /usr/bin/nano /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

# reset com.apple.syslogd.plist
#if [[ -n $(/usr/bin/sw_vers -productVersion | /usr/bin/grep '^10.5') ]]; then exit; fi   # exit if on Mac OS X 10.5.x
$sudo /bin/rm -f /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist
$sudo /bin/cp -p /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist.orig /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

$sudo /usr/bin/nano /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist

# restart syslogd
#$sudo /bin/launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist 2>/dev/null
#/bin/sleep 3
#$sudo /bin/launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.syslogd.plist 2>/dev/null
#$sudo /usr/bin/killall -HUP syslogd   # alternative