init.rb

### PUT THIS IN Merb.root/'config'/'init.rb'

# === Dependencies

require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib', 'logger_proxy'))
require File.expand_path(File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), '..', 'lib', 'logger'))

#
# ==== Set up your basic configuration
#

LoggerProxy.logger = Logger
LoggerProxy.initializer = lambda do |logger, (file, level, delimiter, auto_flush)|
  logger = logger.new(STDOUT) # file, level, delimiter, auto_flush
  logger.formatter = proc{|s,t,p,m|"%5s [%s] (%s) %s :: %s\n" % [s, t.strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"), $$, p, m]}
  logger.level = Logger.const_get(level.to_s.upcase.to_sym)
  logger.progname = "AppName"
  logger
end

logger.rb

### PUT THIS IN Merb.root/'lib'

require 'logger'

class Logger
  
  def flush(*args)
    return
  end
  
  def <<(string = nil)
    self.info(string)
  end
  alias :push :<<
  
  %w(debug info warn error fatal).each do |level|
    eval <<-"end;"
      def #{level}!(*args)
        send(:#{level}, *args)
      end
    end;
  end
  
end

logger_proxy.rb

### PUT THIS IN Merb.root/'lib'

class LoggerProxy
  
  attr_accessor :logger
  
  def initialize(*args)
    @logger = self.class.initializer.call(self.class.logger, args)
  end
  
  def method_missing(name, *args)
    self.logger.send(name, *args)
  end
  
  class << self
    attr_accessor :logger, :initializer
  end
  
end

# Sets the Proxy's logger to the default Merb::Logger
LoggerProxy.logger = Merb.send(:remove_const, :Logger)

# Merb::Logger.new(Merb.file, Merb::Config[:level], Merb::Config[:delimiter], Merb::Config[:auto_flush])
LoggerProxy.initializer = lambda do |logger, (file, level, delimiter, auto_flush)|
  logger.new(file, level, delimiter, auto_flush)
end

# Sets the Merb::Logger to the LoggerProxy
Merb::Logger = LoggerProxy

OUTPUT

test_app1$ merb -p 4000 
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:40:54] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Compiling routes...
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:40:54] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Starting Merb server listening at 0.0.0.0:4000
 WARN [2008-09-16 18:40:54] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Using Mongrel adapter
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:40:58] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Started request handling: Tue Sep 16 18:40:58 -0400 2008
DEBUG [2008-09-16 18:40:58] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Routed to: {"action"=>"index", "controller"=>"messages"}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:40:58] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Params: {"action"=>"index", "controller"=>"messages"}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:40:58] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: {:dispatch_time=>0.004199, :before_filters_time=>2.6e-05, :action_time=>0.003258, :after_filters_time=>2.9e-05}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:40:58] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: 


 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:01] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Started request handling: Tue Sep 16 18:41:01 -0400 2008
DEBUG [2008-09-16 18:41:01] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Routed to: {"action"=>"index", "controller"=>"messages"}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:01] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Params: {"action"=>"index", "controller"=>"messages"}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:01] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: {:dispatch_time=>0.003815, :before_filters_time=>1.0e-05, :action_time=>0.002542, :after_filters_time=>8.0e-06}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:01] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: 


 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:02] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Started request handling: Tue Sep 16 18:41:02 -0400 2008
DEBUG [2008-09-16 18:41:02] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Routed to: {"action"=>"index", "controller"=>"messages"}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:02] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: Params: {"action"=>"index", "controller"=>"messages"}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:02] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 :: {:dispatch_time=>0.00476, :before_filters_time=>1.0e-05, :action_time=>0.002875, :after_filters_time=>1.0e-05}
 INFO [2008-09-16 18:41:02] (5973) Merb-App-Name-5973 ::