syslog doesn't exist!

kernel log syslog

17,805

The output of apt-cache policy rsyslog says, rsyslog isn't installed on your system, therefore

sudo apt-get install rsyslog

17,805

Henrique Ramos

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Henrique Ramos over 1 year

I use 14.04 and I don't have syslog.

I'm a fresh user of Linux, being Windows user for years. When I try tail syslog and that's what out:

henrique@henrique:/var/log$ tail -f /var/log/syslog
tail: couldn't open “/var/log/syslog” for reading: File or directory not found

Was that some error in installation of Ubuntu? Is that a way I can "install" syslog?

EDITING:

cat /etc/rsyslog.conf

#  /etc/rsyslog.conf    Configuration file for rsyslog.
#
#           For more information see
#           /usr/share/doc/rsyslog-doc/html/rsyslog_conf.html
#
#  Default logging rules can be found in /etc/rsyslog.d/50-default.conf


#################
#### MODULES ####
#################

$ModLoad imuxsock # provides support for local system logging
$ModLoad imklog   # provides kernel logging support
#$ModLoad immark  # provides --MARK-- message capability

# provides UDP syslog reception
#$ModLoad imudp
#$UDPServerRun 514

# provides TCP syslog reception
#$ModLoad imtcp
#$InputTCPServerRun 514

# Enable non-kernel facility klog messages
$KLogPermitNonKernelFacility on

###########################
#### GLOBAL DIRECTIVES ####
###########################

#
# Use traditional timestamp format.
# To enable high precision timestamps, comment out the following line.
#
$ActionFileDefaultTemplate RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat

# Filter duplicated messages
$RepeatedMsgReduction on

#
# Set the default permissions for all log files.
#
$FileOwner syslog
$FileGroup adm
$FileCreateMode 0640
$DirCreateMode 0755
$Umask 0022
$PrivDropToUser syslog
$PrivDropToGroup syslog

#
# Where to place spool and state files
#
$WorkDirectory /var/spool/rsyslog

#
# Include all config files in /etc/rsyslog.d/
#
$IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf

Output for apt-cache policy inetutils-syslog

inetutils-syslogd:
  Installed: (nenhum)
  Candidate: 2:1.9.2-1
  Version table:
     2:1.9.2-1 0
     500 http://br.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe amd64 Packages

Output for apt-cache policy rsyslog

rsyslog:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 7.4.4-1ubuntu2.6
  Version table:
     7.4.4-1ubuntu2.6 0
     500 http://br.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     7.4.4-1ubuntu2.3 0
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-security/main amd64 Packages
     7.4.4-1ubuntu2 0
        500 http://br.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages

Output for sudo service rsyslog status

rsyslog stop/waiting

Admin almost 9 years

This log and couple of others should be controlled by a script /etc/rsyslog.conf. Can you look through that scrip and tell us whether syslog there is disabled or not. Or post the whole file to paste.ubuntu.com and we could take a look. Also syslog needs sudo to be viewed, try that same command with sudo.
Admin almost 9 years

@Serg tail -f /var/log/syslog does not require sudo to view it.
Admin almost 9 years

Edit your question and add the output of apt-cache policy inetutils-syslogd
Admin almost 9 years

shows "installed none" on my system but syslog is active ;)
Admin almost 9 years

@Rinzewind Is it really rsyslogd?
Admin almost 9 years

whats the output of ls /var/log/syslog* ?
Admin almost 9 years

I would assume so @a.b. ( /usr/sbin/rsyslogd exists)
Admin almost 9 years

Ok, than edit your question and add the output of apt-cache policy rsyslog
Admin almost 9 years

And edit your question and add the output of sudo service rsyslog status
Admin almost 9 years

@A.B. There, it is. I edited the post with the outputs you asked.
Admin almost 9 years

@Serg I posted the text of /etc/rsyslog.conf. It is on the edited post.
Admin almost 9 years

@heemayl The output is henrique@henrique:~$ ls /var/log/syslog* ls: couldn't access /var/log/syslog*: File or directory not found