The log viewer #

This page is for administrators and developers who read the logs of a public website, and for data protection staff who want to know what the viewer shows. The full reference is The log viewer; the hosting view is Log viewer and rotation (hosting).

Contents #

1. What it shows
2. Reading and searching
3. An error reference from a citizen
4. Personal data
5. On the shell
6. Who may use it
7. Related pages

What it shows #

Setup > Log files (/setup/logs) lists error.log, warning.log, notice.log, debug.log, deprecated.log, auth.log, the request logs 404.log and security.log, csp.log, the cronjob logs, each site's logs (var/<site>/log/*.log), extensions' logs and the rotated archives. A navigator groups them as Kernel, Site, Extensions, Web server and Rotated archives, with size, last write and lines a minute. Web server logs appear only when logviewer.ini names them; they are never guessed.

Reading and searching #

• Every view has a permalink such as /setup/logs/view/error/(level)/error/(search)/timeout; Copy permalink puts it on the clipboard for a ticket.
• Follow a file live, with Pause and Resume; nothing holds a server process open.
• Search one file, every kernel log or every file, with rotations: text or a bounded regular expression, levels, a time range, siteaccess, request, client address, error reference.
• Lines are parsed, colored by level (never by color alone), grouped by request and linked to the audit records of the same minute and to nodes, objects and users in the administration.
• Copy messages copies the shown lines as text.

An error reference from a citizen #

When a visitor reports an error page with a reference such as ERR-0123456789, search for it: the viewer finds the line and the other lines of the same request. Guide: Finding an error by its reference and Find an error by its reference.

Personal data #

By default the viewer masks e-mail addresses, IP addresses, passwords, tokens, keys, session ids and cookies; the values of secret settings are never shown. Show unmasked (only with setup/unmasklogs) shows them for that viewer while switched on. Every view and every action is audited. Downloads are masked and compressed. This makes the viewer suitable for staff who need to diagnose without seeing citizens' data; keep unmasking for investigations. Retention of logs is covered on Log retention and rotation.

On the shell #

./console exp:logs --list
./console exp:logs --tail=var/log/error.log --lines=50
./console exp:logs --search=timeout --file=var/log/error.log --rotations --level=error,warning
./console exp:logs --reference=ERR-0123456789

The command line applies the same masking and limits but checks no policy (shell access is the control); each run that reads a file is recorded as system.log.read.

Who may use it #

Only Administrator holds them in a new installation; see Give log access without admin rights.

Related pages #

• Error digest and log health
• Request logs: 404 and security
• Log retention and rotation
• Log viewer feature
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.