apache - Bash script use of "OR" operator -

my default logrotate script apache is:

/var/log/httpd/*log {     missingok     notifempty     sharedscripts     postrotate         /sbin/service httpd reload > /dev/null 2>/dev/null || true     endscript } 

i understand output , error redirection on line 6 can please explain purpose of || true? , potential consequences of omitting bit?

when logrotate utility runs postrotate (or prerotate) scripts, checks error code returned script. in particular, when sharedscripts specified, error handling follows (quoted man logrotate, emphasis added):

sharedscripts

normally, prerotate , postrotate scripts run each log rotated , absolute path log file passed first argument script. means single script may run multiple times log file entries match multiple files (such /var/log/news/* example). if sharedscripts specified, scripts run once, no matter how many logs match wildcarded pattern, , whole pattern passed them. however, if none of logs in pattern require rotating, scripts not run @ all. if scripts exit error, remaining actions not executed logs. option overrides nosharedscripts option , implies create option.

|| true prevents http reload command returning error condition, avoids above.

man bash (in section "lists") describes ||:

command1 || command2

command2 executed if , if command1 returns non-zero exit status. return status of , and or lists exit status of last command executed in list.

man true explains true in detail, think title suffices: "do nothing, successfully".

in short, command1 || true first executes command1. if succeeds, result success. otherwise, executes true, nothing successfully, , succeeds. executes command1 , succeeds