Jul 102015
 

This is a re-post of the original article byJason SkowronskiAmy Echeverri and Sadequl Hussain first posted on http://www.loggly.com

Linux Logging Basics

First we’ll describe the basics of what Linux logs are, where to find them, and how they get created. If you already know this stuff, feel free to skip to the next section.

Linux System Logs

Many valuable log files are automatically created for you by Linux. You can find them in your /var/log directory. Here is what this directory looks like on a typical Ubuntu system:

Linux-system-log-terminal

Some of the most important Linux system logs include:

  • /var/log/syslog or /var/log/messages stores all global system activity data, including startup messages. Debian-based systems like Ubuntu store this in /var/log/syslog. RedHat-based systems like RHEL or CentOS store this in /var/log/messages.
  • /var/log/auth.log or /var/log/secure stores logs from the Pluggable Authentication Module (pam) including successful logins, failed login attempts, and authentication methods. Ubuntu and Debian store authentication messages in /var/log/auth.log. RedHat and CentOS store this data in /var/log/secure.
  • /var/log/kern stores kernel error and warning data, which is particularly helpful for troubleshooting custom kernels.
  • /var/log/cron stores information about cron jobs. Use this data to verify that your cron jobs are running successfully.

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Jan 182015
 

rednotebook Documenting processes and systems or just keeping a diary of the daily happenings are things that many computer users are doing very often. RedNotebook is a professional application that allows you to create a log or journal of all those tasks as well as document issues with your network. The app can be seen as a professional journal for IT experts, although it can also be used by home users as well.
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