blog:2025:0604_debian_12_logging_change_and_my_syslog_project [igazine.com]

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====== Debian 12 logging change and my syslog project ======

Picking back up from my technical posting on configuring [[technical:remote_syslog_setup|centralized syslog]] this is what my logging directory looks like in Debian 12 (Bookworm). Things have gotten interesting since the last time I started a syslog project.


<cli>
root@syslog01:/var/log# ls 
README		  cloud-init-output.log     exim4    runit
alternatives.log  cloud-init.log	    journal  unattended-upgrades
apt		  dpkg.log		    lastlog  wtmp
btmp		  droplet-agent.update.log  private
</cli>

Well it looks like a lot of things have changed in the logging world since Debian 9.  I know people have had their [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemd#History|political arguments]] over time but looks like systemd has finally taken over logging as well.  I have never really had a dog in the fight and just kind of took to systemd as it took over the Linux world. Here is the README content.

<cli>
root@syslog01:/var/log# less README
You are looking for the traditional text log files in /var/log, and they are
gone?

Here's an explanation on what's going on:

You are running a systemd-based OS where traditional syslog has been replaced
with the Journal. The journal stores the same (and more) information as classic
syslog. To make use of the journal and access the collected log data simply
invoke "journalctl", which will output the logs in the identical text-based
format the syslog files in /var/log used to be. For further details, please
refer to journalctl(1).

Alternatively, consider installing one of the traditional syslog
implementations available for your distribution, which will generate the
classic log files for you. Syslog implementations such as syslog-ng or rsyslog
may be installed side-by-side with the journal and will continue to function
the way they always did.

Thank you!

Further reading:
        man:journalctl(1)
        man:systemd-journald.service(8)
        man:journald.conf(5)
        https://0pointer.de/blog/projects/the-journal.html
README (END)
</cli>

Now after some reading I believe I will keep using rsyslog or syslog-ng (the debate will rage on during this project).  I think some users have legit [[https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1y6q0l/systemds_binary_logs_and_corruption/|concerns]] with corruption and journald. 

{{tag>linux, debian, syslog, logging}}