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    Linux Log Files Location and How Do I View Logs Files On Linux

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    Ritesh H Rawal
    Almost all Linux log files are located in the /var/log directory and its subdirectories. Common ways to view log files include using the less, more, cat, tail, and grep commands. The /var/log/messages file contains general system messages and is often used to troubleshoot issues. Log files can provide details on system activities, authentication attempts, kernel operations, cron jobs, mail servers, web servers, and more.

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    Linux Log Files Location and How Do I View Logs Files On Linux

    Uploaded by

    Ritesh H Rawal
    140 views5 pages
    Almost all Linux log files are located in the /var/log directory and its subdirectories. Common ways to view log files include using the less, more, cat, tail, and grep commands. The /var/log/messages file contains general system messages and is often used to troubleshoot issues. Log files can provide details on system activities, authentication attempts, kernel operations, cron jobs, mail servers, web servers, and more.

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    Linux Log Files Location and How Do I View Logs Files on Linux

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    Linux Log Files Location and How Do I View Logs Files on Linux

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    Almost all Linux log files are located in the /var/log directory and its subdirectories. Common ways to view log files include using the less, more, cat, tail, and grep commands. The /var/log/messages file contains general system messages and is often used to troubleshoot issues. Log files can provide details on system activities, authentication attempts, kernel operations, cron jobs, mail servers, web servers, and more.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    140 views5 pages

    Linux Log Files Location and How Do I View Logs Files On Linux

    Uploaded by

    Ritesh H Rawal
    Almost all Linux log files are located in the /var/log directory and its subdirectories. Common ways to view log files include using the less, more, cat, tail, and grep commands. The /var/log/messages file contains general system messages and is often used to troubleshoot issues. Log files can provide details on system activities, authentication attempts, kernel operations, cron jobs, mail servers, web servers, and more.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Linux Log Files Location And How Do I View Logs Files on Linux?

    by NIX CRAFT on JULY 17, 2006 64 COMMENTS LAST UPDATED NOVEMBER 19, 2013 in COMMANDS, FILE SYSTEM, LINUX

    Iam a new Linux user. I would like to know where are the log files located under Debian/Ubuntu or CentOS/RHEL/Fedora Linux server? How do I open or view log files on Linux operating systems?

    Almost all logfiles are located under /var/log directory and its sub-directories on Linux. You can change to this directory using the cd command. You need be the root user to view or access log files on Linux or Unix like operating systems. You can use the following commands to see the log files: Tutorial details Difficulty Root privileges Requirements Estimated completion time 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. less command more command cat command grep command tail command zcat command zgrep command zmore command Easy (rss) Yes None 5m

    How do I view log files on Linux? Open the Terminal or login as root user using ssh command. Go to /var/logs directory using the following cd command: # cd /var/logs To list files use the following ls command: # ls Sample outputs from RHEL 6.x server:

    anaconda.ifcfg.log boot.log-20111225 cron-20131110.gz 20131027.gz spooler-20131117.gz up2date-20131117.gz

    maillog-20111218

    messages-20131103.gz secure-

    anaconda.log squid

    btmp uptrack.log

    cron-20131117.gz

    maillog-20111225

    messages-20131110.gz secure-20131103.gz

    anaconda.program.log btmp-20120101 swinstall.d uptrack.log.1

    cups

    maillog-20120101

    messages-20131117.gz secure-20131110.gz

    anaconda.storage.log btmp-20131101.gz dkms_autoinstaller tallylog uptrack.log.2

    maillog-20131027.gz mysqld.log

    secure-20131117.gz

    anaconda.syslog varnish

    collectl

    dmesg

    maillog-20131103.gz ntpstats

    setroubleshoot

    UcliEvt.log

    anaconda.yum.log wtmp

    ConsoleKit

    dmesg.old

    maillog-20131110.gz prelink

    spooler

    up2date

    arcconfig.xml yum.log

    cron

    dracut.log

    maillog-20131117.gz rhsm

    spooler-20111211

    up2date-20111211

    atop

    cron-20111211

    dracut.log-20120101

    messages

    sa

    spooler-20111218

    up2date-20111218

    yum.log-20120101

    audit 20111225

    cron-20111218

    dracut.log-20130101.gz messages-20111211

    secure

    spooler-20111225

    up2date-

    yum.log-20130101.gz

    boot.log 20120101

    cron-20111225

    httpd

    messages-20111218

    secure-20111211

    spooler-20120101

    up2date-

    boot.log-20111204

    cron-20120101

    lastlog

    messages-20111225

    secure-20111218

    spooler-20131027.gz

    up2date-20131027.gz

    boot.log-20111211

    cron-20131027.gz maillog

    messages-20120101

    secure-20111225

    spooler-20131103.gz

    up2date-20131103.gz

    boot.log-20111218

    cron-20131103.gz maillog-20111211

    messages-20131027.gz secure-20120101

    spooler-

    20131110.gz up2date-20131110.gz

    To view a common log file called /var/log/messages use any one of the following command: # less /var/log/messages # more -f /var/log/messages # cat /var/log/messages # tail -f /var/log/messages # grep -i error /var/log/messages

    Sample outputs: Jul 17 22:04:25 router dnsprobe[276]: dns query failed

    Jul 17 22:04:29 router last message repeated 2 times

    Jul 17 22:04:29 router dnsprobe[276]: Primary DNS server Is Down... Switching To Secondary DNS server

    Jul 17 22:05:08 router dnsprobe[276]: Switching Back To Primary DNS server

    Jul 17 22:26:11 debian -- MARK --

    Jul 17 22:46:11 debian -- MARK --

    Jul 17 22:47:36 router -- MARK --

    Jul 17 22:47:36 router dnsprobe[276]: dns query failed

    Jul 17 22:47:38 debian kernel: rtc: lost some interrupts at 1024Hz.

    Jun 17 22:47:39 debian kernel: IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=00:0f:ea:91:04:07:00:08:5c:00:00:01:08:00 SRC=61.4.218.24 DST=192.168.1.100 LEN=60 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=46 ID=21599 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=59297 DPT=22 WINDOW=5840 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0

    Common Linux log files names and usage

    /var/log/messages : General message and system related stuff /var/log/auth.log : Authenication logs /var/log/kern.log : Kernel logs /var/log/cron.log : Crond logs (cron job) /var/log/maillog : Mail server logs /var/log/qmail/ : Qmail log directory (more files inside this directory) /var/log/httpd/ : Apache access and error logs directory /var/log/lighttpd/ : Lighttpd access and error logs directory /var/log/boot.log : System boot log /var/log/mysqld.log : MySQL database server log file /var/log/secure or /var/log/auth.log : Authentication log /var/log/utmp or /var/log/wtmp : Login records file /var/log/yum.log : Yum command log file.

    GUI tool to view log files on Linux System Log Viewer is a graphical, menu-driven viewer that you can use to view and monitor your system logs. This tool is only useful on your Linux powered laptop or desktop system. Most server do not have X Window system installed. You can start System Log Viewer in the following ways:

    Click on System menu > Choose Administration > System Log: Sample outputs:

    Fig.01 Gnome log file viewer

    A note about rsyslogd All of the above logs are generated using rsyslogd service. It is a system utility providing support for message logging. Support of both internet and unix domain sockets enables this utility to support both local and remote logging. You can view its config file by tying the following command: # vi /etc/rsyslog.conf # ls /etc/rsyslog.d/ In short /var/log is the location where you should find all Linux logs file. However, some applications such as httpd have a directory within /var/log/ for their own log files. You can rotate log file using logrotate software and monitor logs files using logwatch software.

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